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 illustrates the information regarding the college cafe that , how it looked before and after of the renovation.
At the first glance, it is evident that in past cafe there had been a serving area which at present has been converted into a hot meals. Furthermore, at left side there had been unoccupied space but after renovation salad bar has been established there. Surprisingly, Kitchen and toilets remained same no changes can be witnessed.
Moving towards the rest of information, in past there had been two rooms for staff dinning, however now it has been replaced by take away food and coffee bar. More over, there had been a bin of very small size which has been upgraded to large recycle bin. Nextly, there had been a vacant space in South west but after some time barbecue has been erected there with outdoor seating and at middle tables and chairs remained unchanged.
Overall, it is clearly seen that college cafe had undergone a significant transformation.
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 renovation, such as the conversion of the serving area and the addition of the barbecue and salad bar. You have also made relevant comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states. However, the response lacks a clear overview that synthesizes the most significant changes. While you mention that the cafe underwent a 'significant transformation' in the conclusion, a more detailed summary of the main trends (e.g., the shift toward more varied food options and outdoor seating) should be placed in the introduction or immediately following it to better meet the requirements for a clear overview.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the description. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'Moving towards', and 'Overall'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'Nextly' (which is not standard English) and 'At the first glance'. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the changes more fluidly rather than listing them point-by-point.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'renovation', 'converted', 'unoccupied', and 'erected'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'hot meals' (which should be 'a hot meals area' or 'hot meal facilities') and 'staff dinning' (should be 'staff dining'). The phrase 'remained same' is also grammatically incomplete. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for spatial descriptions and ensuring that nouns and adjectives are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as missing articles ('at left side', 'in past'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing like 'after renovation salad bar has been established'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles when describing specific locations on a map.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.