Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31

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)

This diagram depicts important features of college cafe with distinct design before and after how it looks and what type of improvements are made after redesigning it.

The plan shows the college cafe before redesign is simply one kitchen in left side with serving food area where all kind of foods and drinks are served according to cafe rules and regulations. In addition there is staff dining rooms in the center of cafeteria. All other space is covered with tables and chairs for serving sustenance. There is one bin that is used for garbage in right corner of the cafeteria and toilets are at lower side. This is cafeteria design before construction. Now today's cafe is designed according to modern techniques. There is improvement of coffee bar and take away food and hot meals are served with kitchen facilities. There is one salad bar on left corner of the cafe which brings more customers and orders because of relish food ,buffet and snacks bar. However the sitting area is well decorated with tables, chairs according to customers requirements. The reasonable recycling system is rearranged for better prospects and clean environment. Moreover outdoor sitting area is created with barbecue which is served delicious and quality of products are highly appreciated.

In conclusion, although advancement and upgrade progress shows in today cafe and high management staff and facilities brings positive change in cafeteria.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the changes, but it struggles to present a clear overview or effectively compare the two layouts. The description is somewhat disorganized, focusing on listing features rather than synthesizing the information. For instance, the mention of 'cafe rules and regulations' is irrelevant to the visual data provided. While the main features are mentioned, the lack of a clear summary or a logical comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states limits the effectiveness of the report. To improve, you should focus on grouping features logically (e.g., seating, service areas) and providing a clear summary of the most significant changes in the introduction or overview.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inappropriate, such as the abrupt transition 'Now today's cafe'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial layout of the cafe. The conclusion is also somewhat disconnected from the main body, focusing on subjective opinions about management rather than summarizing the physical changes shown in the diagrams. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is somewhat limited and occasionally inaccurate. Phrases like 'serving sustenance' and 'relish food' are unnatural in this context. There is an attempt to use descriptive language, but the word choices often do not fit the formal tone required for an Academic Task 1 report. Some terms, such as 'rearranged' for a recycling system, are imprecise. To reach a higher band, focus on using precise terminology related to floor plans and spatial descriptions, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', 'installed', or 'partitioned', and avoid overly informal or vague descriptive language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles ('in left side', 'in right corner'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing ('which is served delicious'). Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, such as 'advancement and upgrade progress shows'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for articles and basic sentence construction would be a beneficial next step.

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