Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-27

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 two floor plans illustrates how a cafe was redesigned and how it appears today. overall the cafe has been reconfigured to focus more customers by increasing the food variety and seating capacity .the most noticeable changes are the removal of staff only areas, the introduction of several new food stations and the addition of outdoor eating.

In original layout, the kitchen was located at the top of the plan with a single serving area for all food and drink beneath it. adjacent to this were two staff dining rooms while majority of the space in the center was occupied by tables and chairs. the toilets and bins were situated at the bottom right.

Following the redesign, the serving area was divided into three separate sections; hot meals, takeaway food and a coffee bar. The staff dining rooms were remove to create space. actually the salad bar and a barbecue station were added along the left wall

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the removal of staff areas and the addition of new food stations. However, the response is incomplete as it ends abruptly before describing the full layout of the new plan, such as the outdoor seating or the final placement of the toilets and bins. To reach a higher band, you must ensure all parts of the prompt are addressed. While you provided a good overview, the lack of a concluding summary or a full description of the final layout limits the development of your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between the description of the original layout and the redesign could be smoother. Additionally, there are issues with punctuation and capitalization (e.g., 'the toilets and bins were situated...' starting with a lowercase letter), which occasionally disrupts the flow of information. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring consistent paragraph structure will enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'reconfigured', 'adjacent', and 'capacity' appropriately. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'the staff dining rooms were remove' (should be 'removed') and 'actually the salad bar... were added' (where 'actually' is not the most suitable cohesive transition). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your word forms are grammatically correct in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The two floor plans illustrates') and missing articles ('In original layout'). Furthermore, the lack of consistent capitalization at the start of sentences and after periods is a recurring issue. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and sentence punctuation will significantly improve your writing.

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

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