Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-22

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The maps given show the college cafe before it gets restructured and how it looks at present.

Before cafe redesign it had a different section for kitchen at north side of cafe along with serving area. it also had staff dining rooms at top center of the main rooms. Toilets and bin were at right corner of room. After restructured of cafe, The kitchen area remain unchanged but serving area is replaced with hot meals. The salad bar is added beside table and chairs. The staff dining room is replaced with take away food and coffee bar. The recycling bins were kept instead of normal bin. It also added new section of barbecue outside of cafe along with seating area. A new two doors are added for barbecue areas. Toilets area remain unchanged.

Almost everything is been changed or replaced in cafe as compare to before expect kitchen and toilets areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, identifying key changes such as the addition of the barbecue area and the replacement of the staff dining room. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant trends, which is essential for a high band score. The description is somewhat list-like, focusing on individual items rather than synthesizing the information. While the main features are addressed, the lack of a cohesive summary and the limited analytical depth prevent it from reaching a higher band. The information is accurate, but the presentation is basic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into three short paragraphs, which is a logical structure for this task. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'it also had' and 'it also added' are used frequently, which limits the flow of the text. Furthermore, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'The salad bar is added beside table and chairs,' where the lack of articles makes the spatial relationship difficult to follow. Paragraphing is present but could be more effectively utilized to group related changes.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student relies on basic verbs like 'had', 'added', and 'changed'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'After restructured of cafe' (should be 'After the restructuring of the cafe') and 'normal bin' (should be 'standard bin'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it does not demonstrate the range or flexibility required for a higher band. More precise terminology related to spatial description and architectural changes would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader. Common issues include missing articles ('at north side of cafe', 'at right corner of room'), incorrect verb forms ('Almost everything is been changed'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences starting with lowercase letters. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors limits the score in this criterion.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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