Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-24
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 differences between redesigning a college cafe in the past and in the present.
Overall, in the past, a cafe consisted of a kitchen, a small serving area, and two dining rooms. Nowadays, after redesigning a cafe it offers a large outdoor seating area and a variety of different meals.
Before the cafe was redesigned, it consisted of a small kitchen, two dining rooms, and a serving area, which contained all food and drinks. Moreover, in the center, there were tables and chairs, and at the end of the right-hand corner, there were a toilet and a dustbin.
In addition to this, the cafe was being redesigned, and it offers a large variety of foods such as salad bar, barbecue, hot meals, and a coffee bar on the right-hand side of the room, where food is taken away. However, it also offers a large outdoor seating area, and in the center of the cafe, there are tables and chairs. One thing will remain the same: the toilets and recycling bin.
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 kitchen, seating, and service areas. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of the 'before' state is accurate, but the 'after' state lacks a clear comparison of the spatial changes, such as the removal of the internal serving area in favor of the new food stations. The mention of 'a variety of different meals' in the overview is a good attempt at summarizing, but the report would benefit from more precise comparisons of the layout changes rather than just listing features. The inclusion of the 'toilet and dustbin' is relevant, but the overall development of the comparison could be more analytical to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, starting with an overview and moving to specific details. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition to this', 'However', and 'Moreover' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. For example, the sentence 'In addition to this, the cafe was being redesigned' is confusing as it describes a process rather than the final state shown in the plan. Referencing is generally clear, but the progression between the 'before' and 'after' descriptions could be smoother to better highlight the contrast between the two layouts.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'redesigned', 'serving area', and 'outdoor seating'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'redesigning a college cafe in the past' (which should be 'the layout of a college cafe') and 'the cafe was being redesigned' (when describing the current state). The use of 'dustbin' is acceptable but 'recycling bin' or 'waste disposal area' would be more formal. The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the differences between redesigning a college cafe' (which is logically incorrect) and 'where food is taken away' (which is slightly awkward). Tense usage is inconsistent; the essay shifts between past and present, which is necessary, but the phrasing 'the cafe was being redesigned' incorrectly implies an ongoing action rather than a completed state. Punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence structure could be more varied to improve the overall flow and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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