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 diagram compares a college cafe before its redesign and its present layout.

Overall, the interior walls have remained unchanged, but there is a new outdoor seating area today. Additionally, the food seems to be more diverse now, since there are more spots to get different menu items and the seats for customers have increased too.

Before its redesign, the cafe consisted only of a kitchen and serving area in the additional room in the north west, having all foods and drinks available. In the east, there is a bin aswell as toilets in the corner. The entrance was located in the upper corner of the eastern side of the building. The rest of the room was used for tables and chairs for customers, while there were two staff dining rooms seperately.

Nowadays, the kitchen serves hot meals only now, while an additional salad bar is located on the western inside. A barbecue can be found on the southern outside, just like the outdoor seating area. The tables and chairs and the western side of the building are left unchanged, although the previous staff dining rooms are now used for take away and a coffee bar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively identifies the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of the outdoor seating and the reconfiguration of the kitchen and dining areas. You have successfully made comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states. However, the description of the layout is occasionally imprecise; for example, referring to the 'additional room in the north west' is slightly confusing as the plan shows a single integrated space. To reach a higher band, ensure that spatial descriptions are more accurate and that the summary of changes is more clearly linked to the visual evidence provided in the diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the 'before' and 'after' states. The progression of ideas is clear, and you use cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Before its redesign', and 'Nowadays' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more precise. For instance, the phrase 'the western inside' is a bit awkward and lacks clarity. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to a coherent response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'redesign', 'layout', 'diverse', and 'reconfigured'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'western inside' and 'seperately' (spelling error). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise descriptive language for spatial relationships and ensure accurate spelling of common terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'the kitchen serves hot meals only now' (word order) and 'the tables and chairs and the western side of the building are left unchanged' (preposition/conjunction usage). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring greater accuracy in sentence construction will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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