Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

I have gone through both the old and new designs of the College Cafe and I came to the point that it got well designed after the renovation. One example is that in the older design there is no outdoor sitting for the students to eat but it is been made in the newer design. Another plus is that in the older version there is a single bin that wastes all the waste but now it is been replaced by a recycling bin that recycles all the waste. The Staff Dining Rooms are also been replaced by Takeaway from where you can take the food and eat it elsewhere and another room is a coffee bar from where you can get a hot or cold refreshing coffee to reset your brain and to get more productive and do more work efficiently. These minor changes changed the overall look of the cafe and seems to be more neat and clean.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the requirements of an Academic Task 1 report. Instead of providing an objective summary of the visual data, the response adopts a subjective, conversational tone, including personal opinions such as 'reset your brain' and 'do more work efficiently'. These are irrelevant to the task. While some features are mentioned (outdoor seating, recycling bin, coffee bar), the description lacks a clear overview and fails to report the spatial layout or significant changes in a professional manner. The response reads more like a personal review than a data summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is written as a single paragraph, which is inappropriate for a report. There is no clear logical progression or structure. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Another plus is' and 'The Staff Dining Rooms are also', they are used in a repetitive and mechanical way. The lack of paragraphing and the informal, stream-of-consciousness style make the text difficult to follow as a formal report. The organisation does not facilitate a clear comparison of the two plans.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and often inappropriate for an academic context. Phrases like 'wastes all the waste' are redundant and awkward. The student relies on simple, repetitive language ('well designed', 'minor changes', 'neat and clean'). There is no attempt to use precise vocabulary related to describing maps or architectural changes (e.g., 'relocated', 'converted', 'extended', 'installed'). The word choice is consistently informal and lacks the precision required for Task 1.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammar contains frequent errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'it is been made' (incorrect passive voice), 'wastes all the waste' (inaccurate verb usage), and 'The Staff Dining Rooms are also been replaced' (incorrect tense). The sentence structures are simple and repetitive, lacking the variety of complex structures expected at higher bands. Punctuation is also inconsistent, and the overall control of grammar is weak, with frequent errors in verb forms and sentence construction.

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

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