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 two blueprints compares the cafe of a college before and after its renovation.

In these two blue prints we will compare them side by side to make a clear understanding. As we enter in cafe from the main door there is bin and toilet to left side before renovation and It is same after the renovation. Now going straight there is huge hall for sitting and at the middle of the hall there is dining room for staff on right before renovation. After renovation if we go straight from the entrance there is still a huge hall for sitting and in middle of hall at right side the staff dining area changed to two different rooms. If we face towards these rooms, the right side room is coffee bar and left room is take away section.

Now moving forward towards the other half of the hall there is another room. If we enter this room we see a big kitchen right in front of us and to right it is serving area. However, after renovation we can see that at the other end of hall there is salad bar. Going right from salad bar there is a big room entrance. There is kitchen right in front of the door and towards the right side there is section for hot meals.

Now coming back to hall if we face towards south there are two other door one is near salad bar second is near toilet both open to the outside sitting area . The door that open near the salad bar there is a barbecue section.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe renovation, including the seating area, the kitchen, and the new service sections. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant changes, which is a requirement for a Band 7 or higher. The description is somewhat repetitive and focuses heavily on directional instructions (e.g., 'if we go straight') rather than a concise analytical summary of the spatial changes. While the key features are identified, the lack of a cohesive summary paragraph means the response does not fully meet the requirements for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on phrases like 'Now moving forward' or 'Now coming back to hall'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial layout without constant reference to the original image. Paragraphing is present but does not effectively group related information, such as separating the static features from the changed ones, which would improve the logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. The student uses basic terms like 'huge hall', 'big room', and 'two different rooms'. There is a lack of specific terminology related to architectural plans or spatial descriptions (e.g., 'partitioned', 'relocated', 'converted', 'adjacent'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lexical range is limited, and there are some awkward collocations, such as 'blue prints' (should be 'plans') and 'at the middle of the hall'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('The two blueprints compares'), missing articles ('there is bin', 'to left side'), and awkward phrasing ('The door that open near the salad bar there is a barbecue section'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalisation. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the overall score.

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

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