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 diagrams illustrate the differences between how the college cafe looked before and after the redesign. The cafe is divided into many compartments as shown in the diagrams. The one thing which must be kept in mind is that the map of the cafe remained the same but some changes have taken place to make the cafe modern, updated and beautiful.

Following are the areas that were replaced into different areas such as staff dining room, serving area are converted into hot meals, take away food and coffee bar respectively. On the other hand, some areas remain the same for instance: kitchen, toilets, tables and chairs.

Moreover, some things are updated just like the bin is changed into a recycling bin. The addition of new features take place for example: salad bar, barbecue and outdoor seating. It is a aesthetic design of cafe that people can feel relaxed, enjoy fresh air and become more comfortable in outdoor seating. Customers can see how the barbecue is cooked in front of them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the redesign, such as the conversion of the staff room and serving area, and the addition of the salad bar and outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant changes, which is a requirement for a high band score. The description of the layout is somewhat fragmented, and the inclusion of subjective commentary—such as 'It is a aesthetic design of cafe that people can feel relaxed'—is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report, which should remain objective and focused on the data provided in the diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. While some cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'Moreover', 'On the other hand'), the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing the specific locations of the changes. The paragraphing is present but does not fully support the progression of ideas, as the information is presented as a list of changes rather than a cohesive analysis of the spatial transformation.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'areas' and 'cafe'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural or inaccurate, such as 'replaced into different areas' and 'It is a aesthetic design'. The use of 'updated' and 'modern' is acceptable, but the range of vocabulary is limited, preventing a more sophisticated description of the structural changes shown in the plans.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The addition of new features take place' (subject-verb agreement) and 'It is a aesthetic design' (article usage). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is sometimes awkward, which occasionally hinders the clarity of the description. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band level.

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

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