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 illustrate the layout of collage cafe before and after it's redesign.

Overall if we see Cafe undergone with the significant changes such as in the kitchen area where serving area (all food and drink) redesigned and replaced with the Hot Meal sitting area, However staffing dining rooms replaced with Take away Food and coffee bar sitting area.

Big lounge area of Tables and chairs having a modification like addition of Salad Bar in the left corner and in the right side corner Bin area transform into the Recycling Bins area and been wide a bit from the previous one.

However, Their is a big addition of outside sitting area for the general public along with the wide outdoor sitting Barbecue area added in the right side of the corner.

In summary their is a significant changes in college cafe as compare to the previous one and today it is more modernise and more space for sitting for the public.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the redesign, such as the kitchen modifications, the addition of the salad bar, and the new outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, and the description of the layout is somewhat fragmented. The student identifies key areas but fails to synthesize the information effectively to provide a clear 'before and after' comparison. Some details, such as the specific location of the new facilities, are slightly confusing, which limits the clarity of the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical flow between sentences is often weak. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes inaccurate, such as the awkward use of 'However' at the start of paragraphs where no contrast is present. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes described. The overall progression of information lacks the sophistication required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'Cafe undergone with the significant changes' and 'been wide a bit'. The student relies on basic descriptors and struggles with accurate collocations related to describing maps or plans. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of academic tone and the presence of word-choice errors prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including issues with articles ('the' is often missing), subject-verb agreement ('Cafe undergone'), and sentence structure. There is a limited range of complex structures, and the attempts at them often result in errors that can cause slight confusion. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and comma usage. While the message is understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar limits the score.

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

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