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 illustrates a college cafeteria before it was renovated compared with the current design.

Overall, there are major changes done to the cafe with new amenities added whereas, kitchen, toilets tables and chairs remained at the same. Meanwhile, the cafe is now available for an outdoor seating with a barbecue. Staff dining rooms are remodified into take away food and coffee bar.

To begin with the kitchen and chairs and tables remained untouched. The serving area of all food and drinks is converted into hot meals. Furthermore, the staff dining rooms are modified into take away food and coffee bar. A new saled bar is added currently in the empty space.

The bin is replaced with recycling bins today. The cafe is now open for an outdoor seating with two new entrances from either sides. A new barbecue is established on the left side of the seating for customers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the redesign, such as the addition of the outdoor seating, the barbecue, and the conversion of the staff dining room. However, the report is somewhat inaccurate in its description of the layout. For instance, you mention the kitchen remained 'untouched', but the plan shows the serving area was significantly altered. Additionally, the description of the 'saled bar' (salad bar) is vague. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference the 'before' and 'after' states to avoid factual errors and provide a more precise summary of the spatial changes, rather than just listing them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. While you use some cohesive devices like 'To begin with' and 'Furthermore', the flow between sentences feels somewhat mechanical. The transition between the description of the interior and the exterior is abrupt. Improving the use of referencing (e.g., 'the former staff room' instead of repeating 'staff dining rooms') would enhance the overall cohesion of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several spelling errors, such as 'saled bar' instead of 'salad' and 'remodified' which is not the standard term for renovation. You rely on basic descriptors like 'new' and 'changed'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to architectural changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'partitioned'. The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but the lack of precision and spelling issues limit the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the report. For example, 'The given plans illustrates' contains a subject-verb agreement error (plans illustrate). You also use 'whereas, kitchen, toilets tables and chairs remained at the same', which is grammatically incomplete and lacks proper punctuation. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often marred by errors in article usage and prepositional phrases. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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