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 map illustrates the changes in a college cafe before the renovation and after completing how it looks.

Overall, it depicts how it is modernized over the time by transforming old areas with up to date facilities to give learners a novel place with modifications so that they can experience modern environment .

Firstly, the things that are remained unchanged are Kitchen and Toilets as well as the Tables and chairs where children can enjoy their meals. Secondly, there are new additions to the cafe like Salad bar and Barbecue area are installed. Other than that Bin is replaced with Recycling bins. Moreover Staff dining rooms are converted into two different spaces which are Take away food and Coffee bar which means there is no need for students to take lunch from home and everything will be accessible in the college cafe. Lastly, the serving area is transformed to Hot meals area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe renovation, such as the new additions and the conversion of the staff dining area. However, the response lacks a clear overview of the spatial layout or the scale of the changes. The description is somewhat list-like, and you have included subjective commentary (e.g., 'there is no need for students to take lunch from home') which is not appropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. To reach a higher band, focus strictly on reporting the visual data provided in the plans rather than speculating on the utility of the changes for the students.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' to sequence your points. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. To improve, try to group the changes more logically—for example, by grouping structural changes versus functional changes—and ensure that the referencing (e.g., 'the things that are remained') is more precise to avoid confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'renovation', 'modernized', 'converted', and 'transformed'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'things that are remained' (should be 'remained') and 'up to date facilities'. The phrase 'children can enjoy their meals' is also inaccurate, as the prompt refers to a 'college cafe', implying students or adults. Expanding your range of descriptive verbs and ensuring accurate word choice for an academic context would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

Your writing contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, 'the things that are remained' is grammatically incorrect, and 'how it is modernized over the time' contains an unnecessary article. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles throughout the text (e.g., 'Bin is replaced'). To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb tenses before moving on to more complex structures.

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

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