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 plan reveals the statistics of college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks after the transformation.
Overall, After many changes the cafe's whole look reformed by adding more facilities like take away food, coffee bar and salad bar.
Before, The appearance of college cafe contains, kitchen and in front of kitchen there was a serving area included all food and drinks at the right side of serving area there were staff dining rooms. and remaining hall containing tables and chairs. from the entrance just at right there was a bin and across the bin there were a line of toilets
After transforming, the plan of college cafe. Kitchen,tables and chairs and toilets were same place while the changes were replacing serving area by hot meals and staff dining rooms by take away food and coffee bar and the very major change was outdoor seating which enhance the appearance of entire cafe
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| 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 the key changes such as the addition of the coffee bar and outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical approach. The description is somewhat fragmented, and the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states is not fully developed. For instance, while you mention the kitchen remained in the same place, the spatial relationship between the new facilities and the original layout could be described with more precision to better highlight the transformation. The overview is present but could be more detailed regarding the overall impact of the redesign.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by mechanical and sometimes repetitive phrasing. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally inaccurate, such as starting sentences with 'Before,' or 'After transforming,'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the 'before' and 'after' sections feels abrupt. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next to create a more cohesive narrative.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'whole look reformed' and 'very major change' are somewhat informal and lack the precision expected in an Academic Task 1 report. There is limited use of less common lexical items related to describing changes or spatial layouts. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety in word choice prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Incorporating more specific terminology for describing architectural or layout changes would significantly enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and sentence construction. For example, 'The appearance of college cafe contains, kitchen and in front of kitchen there was a serving area' contains unnecessary commas and awkward phrasing. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. Focusing on basic sentence structure and proofreading for punctuation errors would help improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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