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)
The map illustrates how café design was before and changed after development in the present. Several places were redesigned and some new points were added after significant developments. However, the staff dining rooms were replaced with two sections, which are a takeaway food area and the second one is a coffee bar. Additionally, the café area is expanding with some outside seating for visitors on the south side. Furthermore, A barbecue point was added in the south-west corner. The visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy outside views. The serving areas of food and drinks were converted into hot meals along with kitchen path.
Table and chairs remained at the same place in the center. A salad bar was built on the wall of the west side. Toilets remained the same at south-east corner. A bin on the east side was replaced by a recycling bin. In contrast, the kitchen occupied the same place as it was before.
Overall, by adding some main points it may benefit the café's income. An outdoor seating had major advantage where more individuals would be served.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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, such as the addition of the takeaway area, coffee bar, and outdoor seating. However, the description is sometimes imprecise. For example, stating 'the serving areas of food and drinks were converted into hot meals' is unclear and does not accurately describe the spatial changes shown in the plans. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more analytical. The overview is a bit weak, focusing on potential benefits rather than summarizing the most significant structural changes, which is the primary requirement for Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The progression of information is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally ambiguous, such as in the sentence 'the second one is a coffee bar', where the antecedent is not perfectly clear. Overall, the paragraphing is sufficient, and the information flows in a way that is easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'redesigned', 'development', and 'occupied' used correctly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'map illustrates' (the prompt shows plans, not a map) and 'by adding some main points'. The use of 'hot meals' to describe a serving area is a lexical error that slightly obscures the meaning. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise terminology related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'partitioned', or 'extended'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'how café design was before' (missing article), 'A barbecue point was added' (capitalization error after a full stop), and 'An outdoor seating had major advantage' (article usage error). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The control of punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequent minor errors in articles and sentence structure prevent the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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