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 compare the cafe of a college before and after its renovation.

In these two blueprints we will compare them side by side to gain a clear understanding. As we enter the cafe from the main door there is a bin and a toilet to the left side before renovation and it is same after the renovation. Now going straight there is spacious 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 doors one is near salad bar second is near toilet both open to the outside sitting area . The door that opens near the salad bar there is a barbecue section.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by describing the changes between the two plans. However, it lacks a clear overview, which is essential for Task 1. The description is overly focused on a step-by-step 'walkthrough' of the cafe, which makes it difficult for the reader to grasp the main trends or significant transformations at a glance. While the key features are mentioned, the lack of a summary paragraph highlighting the most important changes (such as the expansion of the kitchen or the addition of the salad bar) prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The information is presented in a somewhat repetitive manner rather than being synthesized.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is mechanical and relies heavily on directional language ('going straight', 'moving forward', 'if we face'). This creates a narrative style rather than an analytical report. Cohesive devices are limited and sometimes used repetitively, such as the frequent use of 'there is' and 'after renovation'. Paragraphing is present, but the logical flow between the sections is weak, and the transition between the description of the 'before' and 'after' states is not always clearly demarcated, leading to some confusion for the reader.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'there is', 'there are', and 'big room' are used frequently. There is little attempt to use more precise or academic vocabulary related to architectural changes or spatial descriptions. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety in word choice and the absence of less common lexical items (e.g., 'transformed', 'relocated', 'partitioned', 'expanded') limit the score. Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate higher-level proficiency.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('to left side', 'in middle of hall'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing ('the staff dining area changed to two different rooms'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. The control over sentence structure is inconsistent, and the reliance on simple 'there is/are' constructions limits the grammatical range. More complex sentence forms are attempted but often contain errors in punctuation or word order.

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