Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-25

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 layouts illustrate the plan of college cafe in past and how it looks now after renovation. Noticeably, it can be clearly seen from design that drastic change occur at college cafe.

On the north-west side there were kitchen and serving area where kitchen has remained at same location. whereas, serving area has been converted into hot meal. Moreover, staff dining rooms were converted into take away food and coffee bar and one area has been added on west side of cafe which is salad bar. Toilets has been remained at same location.

In addition, cafe area is expanded and addition of new outdoor seating as well as barbecue is built on south-west. Tables and chairs are remained at same location which are at center of the cafe.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that the cafe area are expanded with addition of new area like barbeque , out-door seating and salad bar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe renovation, such as the kitchen, serving area, and new additions like the salad bar and outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, such as the overall expansion and the shift in the cafe's layout. While the key features are identified, the description of the changes is somewhat fragmented. To improve, ensure that the overview highlights the most striking transformations rather than just listing individual changes. The comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states is present but could be more analytical.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Noticeably, it can be clearly seen from design that drastic change occur'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the transition between sentences could be smoother. While the overall progression is logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words limits the flow. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring they are used naturally would enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the reader to understand the changes described. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'drastic change occur' (should be 'occurs') and 'serving area has been converted into hot meal' (should be 'a hot meal area'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to describing maps and layouts, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', or 'extended'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'Toilets has been remained' (should be 'The toilets have remained') and 'cafe area are expanded' (should be 'is expanded'). Additionally, there are missing articles throughout the text, such as 'illustrate the plan of college cafe' (should be 'the college cafe'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score.

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

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