Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-23
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 given maps illustrate the difference between the college cafe design now and in the past.
Overall, before the redesign, there was a kitchen, a small serving room, a staff dining room, and, in the center, there were tables and chairs. After redesigning the cafe contain large sitting area in the center as well as outdoor seating. They also offer a variety of meals.
In the past, the cafe consists of a kitchen, a serving area which contain food and drink, staff dining rooms, and in the middle there were tables and chairs. In the right end corner there were toilets, above there was a dustbin.
After redesigning the cafe, there is a large outdoor seating area and cafe offers a variety of meals such as salad bar, barbecue, hot meals, and coffee bar to the right side of the room which is used for take the food away to coustmers. The toilets and recycling bin are at the same place.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the addition of outdoor seating and the new food service areas. However, the report is somewhat repetitive, as the same information is described in both the overview and the body paragraphs. While the key changes are identified, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more analytical. For instance, the mention of 'variety of meals' is a detail not explicitly shown on the map, which suggests a slight reliance on external knowledge rather than strictly interpreting the provided visual data. To improve, focus on grouping features logically to highlight the transformation more clearly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, which provides a logical structure. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by repetitive phrasing and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. For example, the transition between the past and present descriptions is somewhat mechanical. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the use of linking words is limited, and some sentences feel disconnected. Improving the flow by using a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., 'consequently', 'in contrast', 'whereas') would help the reader follow the comparison more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'right end corner' and 'used for take the food away'. Additionally, there are minor spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'coustmers' (customers) and 'cafe contain' (the cafe contains). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to spatial descriptions and design changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'integrated'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the cafe consists' instead of 'consisted', 'cafe contain' instead of 'contains') and incorrect prepositional usage. There are also errors in tense consistency, as the past and present are sometimes conflated. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent tense usage and checking for subject-verb agreement will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.