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 plans illustrate a collage cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now .
Looking at the first plan , there were two staff dining rooms near the kitchen . İn addition , kitchen had a serving area which is prepared all food and drink . There was a one toilet opposite the bin and Tables and chairs occupy most of the cafe area.
Looking at the second plan , toilets and kitchen remained unchanged. On the other hand , salad bar , barbecue and outdoor seating added. Staff dining rooms changed into take away food and coffe bar . Serving area was converted to hot meals . There were two more doors for outdoor seating . Furthermore , tables and chairs still occupies the same area as before .
Overall , every part remained in the same location however some parts changed and some parts added .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe plans, identifying key changes such as the addition of the salad bar and the conversion of the staff dining rooms. However, the overview is quite weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant transformations. While the response addresses the task, it lacks a more analytical approach to comparing the two layouts. The description of the 'serving area' and 'hot meals' is a bit vague, and the report could benefit from more precise language regarding the spatial changes to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the 'before' to the 'after' state. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the overall flow could be improved by varying the sentence structure. The final summary sentence is somewhat repetitive and does not effectively synthesise the information presented in the body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the changes clearly. There are some spelling errors, such as 'collage' instead of 'college' and 'coffe' instead of 'coffee'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic verbs like 'changed', 'added', and 'remained'. To improve, the student should incorporate more precise terminology related to architectural changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', or 'expanded', to demonstrate a wider range of lexical items.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'kitchen had a serving area which is prepared all food' (incorrect passive voice) and 'tables and chairs still occupies' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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