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 display the changes taken place at college cafe before and after its refurbishment.

Overall, the cafe has underwent significant development after redesigning. Several new facilities like outdoor seating, barbecue, salad bar, coffee bar and take away food corner have been introduced while toilets, kitchen and area for tables and chairs remain unchanged.

Before redesigning, the cafe had quite simple layout. The northwestern part of the cafe had a kitchen and a serving area while a major proportion of area at the center was covered by tables and chairs. There were two staff dining rooms just vertically opposite the kitchen and serving area meanwhile the southern-east corner had toilets and space for a bin.

After redesigning, numerous new facilities have been added. The most striking change is outdoor seating with barbecue in the newly extended part. The staff dining rooms have been replaced by a takeaway food corner and coffee bar while a salad bar has opened just opposite to old bin area , which has now updated to recycling bins. The serving area has now been converted to space for hot meals meanwhile kitchen, toilets and areas for tables and chairs observed no change.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, including the new outdoor area and the replacement of the staff dining rooms. You have also made relevant comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant changes effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that all spatial descriptions are precise; for instance, you mention the salad bar is opposite the 'old bin area', but the map shows it replacing the bin area itself. Overall, you have covered all parts of the task well and provided a clear summary of the information presented in the diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the changes. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the general layout to specific modifications. You use cohesive devices such as 'before redesigning', 'after redesigning', and 'the most striking change' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'meanwhile'. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words or punctuation to connect your ideas, which would make the flow feel more natural and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'refurbishment', 'striking change', and 'converted'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'the cafe has underwent' (should be 'has undergone') and 'quite simple layout' (missing an article). While you successfully convey the necessary information, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to spatial changes, such as 'expanded', 'relocated', or 'reconfigured', rather than relying on general verbs like 'added' or 'updated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'changes taken place' (should be 'changes that have taken place') and 'southern-east corner' (should be 'southeast corner'). Additionally, there are some missing articles, such as 'at college cafe' (should be 'at the college cafe'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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