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 plans below demonstrate 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 relevent.
Overall, the plans showed college cafe before redesign and after redesign. There were many changes made after the redesign the cafe and also extended some areas in it.
First of all, the cafe before redesign showed some areas like kitchen and serving area (all food and drink) were at same place in the corner. Additionally, staff dining rooms were at the right lower corner of the kitchen and serving area. Tables and chairs were almost in the middle of the plain and the toilets were at the right corner. There was a bin near the door of the toilets.
the cafe today looks very different from before and they extend many areas in it. The kitchen is at same location and the serving area is converted into hot meals. The staff dining room is transformed into two separate areas, take away food and the cafe bar. The salad bar, barbecue and outdoor seating are introduced it. The bin is transformed into recycling bin. There are no renovation in the toilets and the tables & chairs area.
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, such as the kitchen, serving area, and new additions like the salad bar. However, the response includes the task instructions in the introduction, which is a significant error. The description of the changes is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more effectively integrated. The summary is functional but lacks the sophisticated selection of data required for higher bands, as it tends to list features rather than synthesising the information into a cohesive report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'Additionally', 'First of all'). The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is poor because the student included the prompt instructions in the text. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'introduced it', where the pronoun does not clearly refer back to the cafe. The overall progression of ideas is logical, but the mechanical nature of the linking words prevents a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student relies on simple verbs like 'showed', 'made', and 'looks'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'plain' (likely meant 'plan') and 'no renovation in the toilets' (should be 'no renovations were made'). The range is sufficient to describe the layout, but there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or academic vocabulary to describe spatial changes or architectural features. The errors in word choice do not impede communication, but they limit the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the cafe before redesign showed' (missing articles), 'they extend many areas' (incorrect tense), and 'There are no renovation' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the misuse of articles and tense consistency issues are noticeable throughout. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over more complex grammatical structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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