Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The plans illustrate a cafe of college which was redesigned and at this moment how it looks.

Overall, it is evident that there are many kinds of thing are added nowadays.

Before redesign, in the center of the cafe there was some tables and chair and before that there was two staff dining room. Service area and kitchen was held besides the staff dining rooms. In the corner of the cafe, there was a toilets and Infront of toilets there was a bin.

Nowadays, there is significant changes in cafe. There are some new thing are added in the cafe such as salad bar, coffee bar,take away food, outdoor seating. Staff dining rooms are replaced by take away food and coffee bar. Moreover, in the last of corner there is a barbecue sector that are newly created.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified the main features of the cafe redesign, the description is somewhat superficial. You mention the addition of a salad bar and coffee bar, but you miss several key details from the visual data, such as the relocation of the entrance, the change in the seating layout, and the specific positioning of the new facilities. The overview is also quite basic. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive summary of all significant changes and ensure you meet the minimum length requirement to allow for full development of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Before redesign' and 'Nowadays', but the flow between sentences is often disjointed. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'in the last of corner', which is awkward and lacks precision. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus, moving logically from the 'before' state to the 'after' state with smoother transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic terms like 'thing' and 'cafe'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'barbecue sector' (instead of 'barbecue area') and 'held besides' (which is not appropriate in this context). The phrasing 'there are many kinds of thing are added' is grammatically incorrect and uses imprecise vocabulary. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more specific terminology related to describing plans and layouts, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'incorporated', or 'situated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'there was some tables and chair' (subject-verb agreement error), 'there is significant changes' (should be 'there are'), and 'there was a toilets' (article and number agreement error). You rely almost exclusively on simple sentence structures. To improve, you need to demonstrate control over more complex sentence forms, such as using relative clauses or passive voice to describe the changes (e.g., 'The staff dining area was replaced by...'). Careful proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and pluralisation is essential.

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