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 rendered pictorial diagram delineates the information about college cafe map before and after redesigned.

Overall, as it is apparent here that the significant changes had made but the kitchen and the toilet have been remained same.

initiates with the kitchen, which remained its place, whereas the serving area has been converted into hot meals. If we move forward to the down at the left side, there was an empty space which placed with salad bar. There were tables and chairs at the center of the cafe and toilet at the corner of the right side which doesn't change. At the upper side if the toilet, there was bin which replaced with recycling bin.

at the north center, there were staff dining rooms, those reconstructed with the cafe bar and the area of taking away food. The extra seating has arranged at the outdoor of the cafe. The prominent change is the barbecue which designed at waste south corner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the kitchen, serving area, and new additions like the barbecue and outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear, professional overview. The description of the layout is somewhat fragmented and relies on informal directional language (e.g., 'down at the left side', 'upper side if the toilet'). While the main changes are identified, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more precise. The summary is functional but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band, as it reads more like a list of observations than a cohesive report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression between them is weak. The use of cohesive devices is limited and often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'initiates with the kitchen' and 'at the north center'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial layout of the cafe. The transition between the description of the original features and the new additions lacks smooth signposting, which affects the overall flow of the information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'rendered pictorial diagram', 'placed with salad bar', and 'waste south corner' (likely meant 'west'). The student relies on basic descriptive verbs like 'remained' and 'converted', which are repetitive. To achieve a higher score, the student should use more sophisticated terminology related to spatial descriptions and architectural changes, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', or 'incorporated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'before it was redesigned' (missing subject), 'the kitchen and the toilet have been remained same' (incorrect passive voice), and 'those reconstructed with the cafe bar' (incorrect relative clause usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of prepositions and articles. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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