Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The plans depict how a college cafe looks before and after redesignation.

Overall, it is evident that the cafe underwent several changes. More facilities are added now such as a barbecue, a salad bar and an outdoor seating area, while some areas are not changed.

Before redesignation, the cafe had a kitchen in the northwest side, below that there was a serving area (all food and drink). In the middle of the cafe, staff dining rooms were presented. Below those rooms tables and chairs were presented. Toilets were in the southeast area. upper to this there was a bin.

After redesignation, serving area is replaced by a hot meals room. Similarly, the staff dinning rooms are changed to a take away food room and a coffe bar. A small changed happened to the bin that is now a recylce bin. More facilities are installed like salad bar is constructed in the middle of west site. Likewise, a barbecue and an outdoor seating area are built in the southwest and in the remaining region of the south, respectively. Meanwhile, the kitchen, the tables and chairs, and the toilets are remained in the same location.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully identifies the main features of the cafe redesign. You have clearly highlighted the changes, such as the new facilities, and noted the areas that remained unchanged. However, the description of the layout is sometimes imprecise; for example, using 'upper to this' or 'northwest side' is slightly confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure that spatial relationships are described with more precision and clarity. You have covered all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and sufficient detail to satisfy the requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the 'before' and 'after' states. The progression of ideas is clear, and you use cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'Likewise', and 'Meanwhile' to link your points. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods, which helps the reader follow the comparison easily. Overall, the structure is coherent and supports the development of your response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redesignation', 'facilities', and 'constructed'. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'dinning' instead of 'dining', 'recylce' instead of 'recycle', and 'redesignation' is slightly awkward in this context (a better choice would be 'redesign' or 'renovation'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher band scores. Focusing on more accurate collocations and avoiding spelling errors will improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'staff dining rooms were presented' (passive voice misuse), 'a small changed happened' (should be 'change'), and 'toilets are remained' (incorrect passive construction). These errors occur frequently enough to be noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, focus on the correct use of passive voice and verb tenses when describing changes to a layout. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher band.

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

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