Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-30
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 given images are diagrams which illusrates the vital infromation regarding cafe of college before and redesigned and hot its looks today.
Overall, if week look closely the design of cafe before were a simple and having two staff dinning rooms while in contrast cafe after design is to modren having multipe food areas. There is a significant change in cafe today is outdoor seating area.
Looking at the initial layout of cafe, there was kitchen and serving area, the kitchen remain same in today cafe while hot meals take place serving area. Morever, staff dinning rooms were located at the top center of cafe which is also changed after redesigned with take away food and coffee bar, while toilets at bottom corner, table and chairs at the center of cafe remain same.
Turning to the renovated cafe, there are lot of changes, the first one is barbecue and outdoor seating arean at the bottom of the cafe is the noticable change and there is new place design for salad in the mid of cafe on the lef side. Another thing is that bins before were a to small which upgraded after renovation to recycling bins.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of the outdoor seating area and the conversion of the staff dining rooms. However, the description is somewhat disjointed and lacks a clear, professional overview. While the main changes are identified, the reporting of specific details is occasionally inaccurate or confusing, such as the mention of 'hot meals take place serving area.' To improve, ensure that the summary clearly contrasts the 'before' and 'after' states with more precise terminology and a more logical flow of information. The response addresses the prompt but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression of ideas is often hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical use of cohesive devices. For instance, the transition 'Turning to the renovated cafe' is used, but the subsequent sentences are cluttered with grammatical errors that make the flow difficult to follow. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'which is also changed after redesigned,' where the antecedent is ambiguous. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence builds logically upon the previous one will significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary range is limited and contains several errors that occasionally impede communication. There are frequent spelling mistakes, such as 'illusrates,' 'infromation,' 'modren,' and 'multipe.' Additionally, word choice is often imprecise, such as 'hot its looks today' instead of 'how it looks today.' While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'renovated' and 'layout,' the overall control is weak. To reach a higher band, focus on accurate spelling and using more precise collocations to describe spatial changes, such as 'relocated,' 'transformed,' or 'replaced.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures, and there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include missing articles ('the' cafe), incorrect verb forms ('is to modren'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('bins before were a to small'). Complex structures are attempted but are often faulty, leading to confusion. For example, 'the kitchen remain same in today cafe while hot meals take place serving area' is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and pluralisation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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