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 showed the cafe before the redesign and after the redesign.
The plan of the cafe before the redesign showed that the kitchen and serving area were in the left corner.
Additionally, the staff dining rooms were in the right corner of the plan.
The cafe looked very different after the redesign and many areas were extended.
A salad bar, barbecue area and outdoor seating were introduced.
There were no renovations in the kitchen area. It remained the same as before.
The serving area was converted into a hot meals section.
The area of the staff dining rooms was converted after the redesign and two new areas were made: take away food and a cafe bar.
There were no changes to the toilets and the tables and chairs.
The bin was transformed into a recycling bin.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified the main features of the cafe redesign, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant changes, which is essential for a Band 6 or higher. The description is largely a list of changes rather than a cohesive summary. To improve, you must include an introductory overview that highlights the most striking transformations, such as the expansion of the seating area and the addition of new facilities, and ensure you meet the minimum length requirement to allow for full development of the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into short, simple sentences that lack logical flow. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'after the redesign', the progression of ideas feels mechanical and repetitive. Each sentence starts in a similar way, which hinders the overall readability. To improve, try to combine related sentences using subordinating conjunctions (e.g., 'while', 'whereas') to create a more natural flow. Additionally, ensure that your paragraphing is more distinct; currently, the response is fragmented, making it difficult to follow the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple verbs like 'showed', 'made', and 'converted'. While these are accurate, they do not demonstrate the range required for a higher band. To improve, incorporate more precise vocabulary related to describing changes in diagrams, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', 'expanded', or 'replaced'. For example, instead of saying 'the kitchen... were in the left corner', you could use 'the kitchen was situated in the left-hand corner'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and verbs will significantly enhance your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The grammar is generally accurate, but the range of structures is very limited. You rely almost exclusively on simple sentences with a 'subject + verb + object' structure. There is a lack of complex sentences, such as those using relative clauses or passive voice, which are necessary for describing processes and changes in diagrams. For instance, instead of 'The area of the staff dining rooms was converted', you could use 'The area previously occupied by the staff dining rooms was converted into a take-away food section and a cafe bar'. Increasing the variety of your sentence structures will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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