Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The maps illustrate the layout of a college cafe. Here is comparing the plan of old cafe with plan of a cafe after its renovation.

Overall, it is evident that in past college cafe was the ordinary cafe where only food and drinks service was available. After redesign cafe has been revolutionized. The variety of food items has been introduced. Additionally extra sitting area has been organized.

Before redesign, the cafe had simple layout. There was a kitchen at the northwestern corner of the map. South to kitchen there was serving here where all food and drinks were served to customers. The two staff dinning rooms were located beneath the serving area to the east side. On the southeastern corner there was toilets , north to it there was a bin to discard wastage. The remaining area was space for tables and chairs.

After renovation, the cafe has been extended. The kitchen is in the same place where it was in past. Whereas the serving area has been placed by place for hot meals. Staff dinning rooms have been converted into takeaway room and coffee bar. On the southwestern corner a barbecue has been introduced, north to it salad bar has been established. The toilets and recycling bins are at the same place and tables and chairs are also arranged in similar manner. Besides this, an extra outdoor sitting area has been added on the south of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the two maps, including the kitchen, serving areas, and the addition of the outdoor seating. You successfully identified the main changes, such as the conversion of staff rooms and the introduction of new food facilities. However, the overview is slightly simplistic. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the most significant trends, such as the overall expansion and the shift toward a more diverse, modern dining experience, rather than just listing features. The comparison between the two maps is clear, and you have effectively highlighted the spatial changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on the 'before' and 'after' states. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate these timeframes. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'Before redesign', 'After renovation', 'On the southeastern corner'). To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and referencing expressions to improve the flow between sentences. For example, instead of starting every sentence with a prepositional phrase of location, vary your sentence structure to better connect the descriptions of the different areas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the layout and changes, such as 'revolutionized', 'converted', and 'established'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'staff dinning rooms' (should be 'dining') and 'placed by place for hot meals' (which is awkward). Additionally, 'discard wastage' is not the most natural collocation; 'dispose of waste' would be better. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on more natural collocations related to architectural descriptions would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in articles (e.g., 'in past', 'the ordinary cafe') and prepositions (e.g., 'South to kitchen'). Some sentences are slightly fragmented or lack necessary articles, which affects the overall fluency. While these errors do not impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, pay closer attention to basic grammatical rules, particularly the use of definite and indefinite articles, and ensure that your sentence structures are consistently accurate.

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

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