Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-29
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 plans illustrate how cafe looks before the upgradation, and how currently it looks like.
Overall, the Staff dinning rooms are completely removed, while the Outdoor seating and the Barbecue facilities are being introduced in new design, however the position of Toilets and Kitchen are being retained.
Before cafe was redesigned, there were two Staff dining rooms, which were at northern side, just adjacent to the Serving area, which are now being replaced with the Take away food service and the Coffee bar. Moreover, the spacious Outdoor seating has also being introduced in latest cafe's plan.
In addition, the Serving area of all food and drink is replaced by hot meals shop. Also, there is a new addition of the Salad bar spot which is alongside the western wall. Also, bin system is also being upgraded, the significant area is devoted to recycling bin, however the location remains same on the eastern side.
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 removal of staff rooms and the addition of new facilities like the salad bar and outdoor seating. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the main changes are identified, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more precise. For instance, the mention of the 'hot meals shop' replacing the 'serving area' is a good observation, but the overall summary could be more effectively structured to highlight the transformation of the space more clearly. The response meets the requirements but lacks the depth of analysis expected for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'however' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and the use of 'Also' at the start of consecutive sentences in the final paragraph makes the writing feel repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the description of the staff rooms and the outdoor seating could be smoother. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner, but the paragraphing and linking could be more sophisticated to improve the logical progression of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'upgradation', 'retained', and 'devoted' used correctly. However, there are some word choice issues, such as 'upgradation' (which is non-standard; 'renovation' or 'redesign' would be better) and 'dinning' (a spelling error for 'dining'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and relies on basic descriptors. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'transformed', rather than relying on simple verbs like 'replaced' or 'introduced'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'how cafe looks' (missing article), 'Staff dinning rooms are completely removed' (tense inconsistency), and 'has also being introduced' (incorrect verb form). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The use of passive voice is appropriate for a report of this nature, but the control over verb tenses and articles needs improvement to ensure greater accuracy throughout the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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