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 map depicts the changes that has taken place after the modification of college cafe.
Overall, there are numerous changes in the cafe. There is new establishment of outdoor seating in the south direction. whereas, the hot meal are replaced by the serving area.
It can be vividly seen that the cafe had undergo huge changes. Firstly, The barbecue is newly constructed in the south -west direction, beside the building of the cafe. The entrance remained at the same location in east direction. however, the area for recycling bin in the east direction near the entrance has expanded. while, the location of the kitchen has unchanged lies in north-west direction in the corner of the cafe.
Moving towards the rest of the information, the staff dining area in the center of cafe was demolish and it is converted into take away food and coffee bar area. further, the toilets remained at the same place in south east in the corner of cafe. Moreover, Salad bar is newly introduce in the west direction with enough area.
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
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the addition of outdoor seating, the barbecue, and the conversion of the staff dining area. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lists changes rather than synthesising the most significant transformations. While the key features are identified, the description of the layout changes lacks precision in spatial relationships. For instance, stating the kitchen 'has unchanged' is grammatically awkward and slightly inaccurate in its description of the layout. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the most striking changes, such as the shift from a staff-focused area to a more customer-centric layout, rather than just listing individual modifications.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the use of 'whereas' and 'while' at the start of sentences is grammatically incorrect in this context. Additionally, the transition between sentences feels disjointed at times, such as the abrupt shift from the entrance to the kitchen. The paragraphing is present but could be more effectively used to group related changes, such as structural additions versus internal reconfigurations. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the reader to understand the changes described. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'new establishment of outdoor seating' and 'the cafe had undergo huge changes'. The use of 'demolish' instead of 'demolished' and 'introduce' instead of 'introduced' indicates a lack of control over word forms. To improve, focus on using more precise verbs for describing layout changes, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', or 'replaced', and ensure that nouns and verbs are used in their correct forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('changes that has taken place', 'hot meal are replaced') and incorrect verb tenses ('the location of the kitchen has unchanged'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary capital letters after periods and missing commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would lead to immediate improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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