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 map depicts the information regarding the college cafe ,before it was redesigned and how it looks today.
At the first glance it is evident that, cafe had staff dining rooms in the middle which have been replaced by two distinct new places named as take away food and coffee bar. Kitchen remained same but at the place of serving area, hot meals has been taken place. Moreover, on the left side there had been vacant space which now is occupied by salad bar.
Moving towards the rest of information, in both plans tables and chairs remained constant, however map had a bin and was very small in area but after redesigning it has been renamed as recycling bin and the has been increased also. Furthermore, in South west there had been free space but after some modification there now barbecue has been opened with outdoor seating and no changes in toilets can be witnessed.
Overall, it is clearly seen that cafe has undergone huge transformation through out the specific time period
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
You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, including the removal of staff dining rooms and the addition of new facilities like the salad bar and barbecue area. You have also made relevant comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states. However, the response lacks a clear overview that synthesises the most significant changes, such as the overall expansion of the facility or the shift toward a more customer-oriented layout. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the most striking trends rather than just listing individual changes. The description of the 'serving area' and 'hot meals' is slightly unclear, which affects the clarity of your reporting.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of information. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'At the first glance', 'Moreover', and 'Moving towards the rest of information'. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or unnatural. Additionally, there are issues with referencing; for example, 'the has been increased' is missing a noun, and 'the map' is used to refer to the plan, which is slightly imprecise. Improving the variety and flow of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redesigned', 'occupied', 'transformation', and 'modification'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'hot meals has been taken place' and 'the has been increased'. These errors occasionally impede the flow of the text. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your vocabulary is used in the correct grammatical context. Expanding your range to include more descriptive verbs and nouns related to spatial changes would also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('hot meals has been taken place'), missing articles ('at place of serving area'), and incomplete sentence constructions ('the has been increased'). While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to distract from the content. To improve, pay closer attention to basic sentence construction, article usage, and ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree correctly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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