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 maps illustrates the changes that took place in cafe before and after redesigned.
Overall, there are considerable development in todays cafe including outdoor seating, separate places for hot food items, and take away. There are few new facilities such as coffee bar, sealed bar, barbecue.
Firstly, cafe before redesign has kitchen and serving of all foods and drinks nearby in the northwest area. Following to that there are two rooms for staff dining and more space for tables and chairs to have food in the center of dinning hall. Furthermore, South side of the dining has bin and toilets.
However, after the redesign cafe today underwent huge development. Firstly the location of kitchen remains the same whereas serving area is replaced by Hot meals. Additionally, staff dining rooms are replaced with take away food and coffee bar.
Furthermore, bin is replaced by recycling bin and toilets are in the same location. New room is allotted for sealed bar left side, and south side there are outdoor seating and barbecue space that are newly arranged.
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 plans, including the key changes such as the introduction of outdoor seating and the reconfiguration of the serving area. However, the overview is slightly weak; while it mentions some developments, it lacks a clear, concise summary of the most significant transformations. The description of the layout is generally accurate, but some details, such as the 'sealed bar' (likely a salad bar), are misidentified or poorly described. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most striking changes, such as the shift from a single serving area to specialized food stations and the expansion of the cafe's footprint.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, moving from an introduction to a description of the 'before' state and then the 'after' state. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'However' 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 sentences could be smoother to improve the overall progression of the report. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to better guide the reader through the spatial changes.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for the description of the cafe's layout. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'sealed bar' (likely a misinterpretation of 'salad bar') and 'today's cafe' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). The range is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'huge development' and 'new room'. To improve, you should aim to use more precise terminology related to floor plans and spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', 'converted', or 'extended'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the word choice lacks the precision required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'The maps illustrates' (subject-verb agreement), 'in cafe before and after redesigned' (missing articles and incorrect verb form), and 'Following to that' (incorrect preposition). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles (e.g., 'the cafe'), and ensuring that verb tenses are consistent when describing past and present states.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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