Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26

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 given plans shows the difference in a college café before it was redesigned and it looks after its redesigning.

In previous years the café was not much developed. It had a kitchen and a serving area in the top north part of the café. But after redesigning, Hot meals have replace the serving area. Just in front of the entering door it had a staff-dining rooms which is supplant by coffee bar and area for take away food. Corner of the café contains toilets just besides the bin which is replaced by a recycling bins. Just opposite to it, a salad bar is added in recent development.

Two more door for entering the café has been added during redesigning. Outside the café, a barbecue has added in recent development with numerous seating.

In conclusion, the café goes out through many changes when it was redesigned with inclusion of a special area for Barbecue and seating purpose.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the kitchen, dining areas, and the addition of the barbecue. However, the description lacks precision. For example, stating 'Hot meals have replace the serving area' is vague, and the spatial descriptions (e.g., 'top north part') are slightly confusing. While the main changes are identified, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant trends, such as the expansion of seating capacity or the shift toward more diverse food options. The conclusion is also somewhat repetitive rather than summarizing the key transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. Phrases like 'Just in front of the entering door' and 'Just opposite to it' are used to navigate the plan, but the flow between sentences is often disjointed. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'the café goes out through many changes', which is not a standard way to describe a physical transformation. Paragraphing is present but the logical progression within paragraphs could be improved by grouping features more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'not much developed' instead of 'less developed' or 'underdeveloped', and 'supplant' used incorrectly as a passive verb. The phrase 'seating purpose' is also unnatural. While the student attempts to use specific terms like 'recycling bins' and 'barbecue', the overall range is limited, and the errors in word choice occasionally draw attention to the language rather than the information being presented.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the report. Subject-verb agreement issues are common, such as 'The given plans shows' and 'a barbecue has added'. There are also tense inconsistencies, such as 'Hot meals have replace' (should be 'replaced') and 'Two more door... has been added' (should be 'doors... have been added'). While the student attempts some complex structures, these are often marred by errors. Simple sentences are generally understandable, but the frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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