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 plans compares the appearance of a college cafe before redesigned and after development.
Overall, cafe underwent significant development, with various new facilities being added and some features being modified.
Firstly, kitchen was at top side and serving area of all food and drink was at downside near kitchen, followed by there were staff dinning rooms, toilets and bins at downside. Additionally, after refurnished, serving area was replaced by hot meals, meanwhile staff running rooms were undertaken by take away food and coffee bar, whereas salad bar has been added, allowing students to eat healthy food. For instance, bins are also replaced by recycling bins. Furthermore, barbecue section is added, where students can enjoy eating food, as there is outdoor seating available too now, while tables and chairs located in centre remained same.
As a result, college cafe has become more developed, and students friendly, with a wider range of features.
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 addition of new facilities and the modification of existing areas. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with specific details from the plans. To reach a higher band, ensure you avoid minor inaccuracies in your description; for example, you mentioned the 'serving area' was replaced by 'hot meals', whereas the plan indicates the serving area was relocated and expanded to include hot meals. Additionally, ensure your comparisons are more precise by clearly contrasting the 'before' and 'after' states for each specific zone rather than listing them in a way that occasionally obscures the spatial relationship.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'As a result' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical phrasing and some awkward transitions between sentences. For instance, the phrase 'followed by there were staff dinning rooms' is grammatically clunky and disrupts the logical progression. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that your referencing (e.g., 'the latter', 'the former') is used to link ideas more smoothly rather than relying on repetitive sentence structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redesigned', 'development', 'facilities', and 'modified'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'downside' (instead of 'at the bottom' or 'southern end'), 'staff running rooms' (likely meaning 'staff rooms'), and 'undertaken by' (which is misused here). These errors occasionally make the meaning slightly unclear. To improve, focus on using more precise spatial vocabulary and collocations appropriate for describing diagrams and floor plans, such as 'situated', 'adjacent to', or 'converted into'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'kitchen was at top side'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'before redesigned' instead of 'before being redesigned'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'tables and chairs located in centre remained same'). While your meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher level of accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly enhance your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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