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 floor plan gives the idea of the college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now. At a glance, it is observed that there is an immense change in the floor plan of the cafe compared to the previous floor plan of the cafe.

Overall, it is observed that there is addition of many sections in the cafe which was previously not there such as salad bar, barbecue, coffee bar and take away food.

In the floor plan of the cafe before redesign where there was staff dining rooms now it is converted to the take away food and coffee bar section. Whereas, the recycle bin, toilets and the kitchen are in the same place without any major change.

There is also addition of many sections in the new floor plan like salad bar which is located in the west side of the entrance. Moreover, there is also addition of outdoor seating and barbecue which is located outside of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of new sections like the salad bar and barbecue. However, the report lacks sufficient detail regarding the spatial layout and the relative positions of features. For instance, while you mention the salad bar is in the west, you do not describe the overall flow or the significant reduction in seating capacity, which is a key feature of the change. The overview is present but could be more analytical by highlighting the shift from a purely dining-focused space to a more diverse service-oriented layout. To improve, ensure you compare the sizes and locations of all major areas more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'At a glance', 'Moreover', and 'Whereas' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the 'staff dining rooms' and the new 'take away' section could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task, but the progression of information could be more sophisticated to better guide the reader through the spatial changes.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the changes clearly. You use relevant terms like 'redesigned', 'sections', and 'floor plan'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'addition of' and 'there is'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'replaced'. There are no significant spelling errors, but the lexical choices remain quite basic throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'there is addition of many sections in the cafe which was previously not there' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('sections... was'). Additionally, 'in the floor plan of the cafe before redesign where there was staff dining rooms' is clunky and grammatically awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more varied sentence construction would be beneficial.

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