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 maps illustrate the changes of cafe before and now after redesigned .
Overall , the cafe has been modernised changed with several new facilities being introduced . the most noticeable changes are take away food , coffee bar , hot meals salad bar , barbecue and outside seating has added whereas two staff room has been removed .
Before redesign kitchen is occupied by upper lift side and along serving area . In right side corner there were two staff dining room and other left area is filled by the tables and chairs . There were also bin and toilets in the lower right corner .
After redesign today the kitchen is same whereas serving area is changed to hot meal area . Take away area and cafe area is replaced the two staff dinning room . salad bar and barbecue is added to lower left corner . New sitting area is added to outside whereas
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, identifying key additions like the salad bar and the removal of the staff rooms. However, the report is incomplete as it ends abruptly mid-sentence ('New sitting area is added to outside whereas'). This lack of a conclusion or full description of the final layout prevents a higher score. While the overview is present, the information is not fully developed, and the abrupt ending significantly impacts the overall task completion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is divided into paragraphs, which helps with the overall structure. However, the flow is hindered by the incomplete final sentence and some mechanical use of cohesive devices. The progression of ideas is logical in the first two paragraphs, but the lack of a proper conclusion and the sudden stop at the end make the text feel disjointed. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'the kitchen is same', which lacks proper articles and comparative structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'modernised', 'facilities', and 'redesigned'. However, there is a lack of variety and some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'upper lift side' and 'in right side corner', which are not natural collocations. The range is limited, and the repetition of basic verbs like 'added' and 'changed' restricts the ability to describe the changes with precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding article usage ('the kitchen is same', 'in right side corner') and sentence structure. There is a lack of complex sentence forms, and the punctuation is inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and erratic spacing around punctuation marks. The incomplete final sentence is a major grammatical failure that leaves the thought unfinished.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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