Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02

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 6.0)

The plans illustrate the changes made to a college cafe, comparing its layout before and after the redesign.

Overall, the cafe has been considerably modernized, with several new food and drink facilities being added. In addition, the seating area has been expanded to include outdoor seating.

Before the redesign, the kitchen occupied the upper-left corner, with a serving area for all food and drinks directly below it. A large area containing table and chairs was situated in the center and left side of the cafe. Two staff dining rooms were located towards the upper-right, while toilets and a bin were positioned of the right-hand side.

The cafe now has more diverse range of facilities. The kitchen remains in the upper-left corner, but the former serving area has been replaced by a hot-meals section. A takeaway food and coffee bar have been added in the center. On the left side, there is now salad bar and barbecue. Finally, the former been replaced by the recycling bin, and toilets remains in the lower-right corner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, including the addition of new facilities and the expansion of the seating area. You provided a clear overview and supported it with specific details from the plans. However, the response is slightly incomplete; you omitted the mention of the new outdoor seating area in the body paragraph, despite mentioning it in the overview. Additionally, the description of the right-hand side in the final paragraph is confusing, as you refer to a 'former' item without naming it. To reach a higher band, ensure all features mentioned in the overview are fully detailed in the body paragraphs and maintain consistent clarity when describing spatial changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression from 'before' to 'after'. You use cohesive devices such as 'Before the redesign', 'In addition', and 'Finally' to guide the reader. However, the cohesion is occasionally mechanical, and there are some issues with referencing. For example, in the final sentence, 'the former been replaced by the recycling bin' is grammatically incomplete and lacks a clear antecedent, which disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that every reference is explicit would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'considerably modernized', 'diverse range of facilities', and 'occupied'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'more diverse range' (missing 'a') and 'the former been replaced' (incorrect structure). While you successfully describe the layout, the vocabulary is somewhat functional. To improve, try to incorporate more precise descriptive language for spatial relationships and facility types, such as 'partitioned', 'reconfigured', or 'designated zones', which would demonstrate a more sophisticated control of lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors that slightly impede clarity, such as 'the former been replaced by the recycling bin' and 'toilets remains' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, there is a missing article in 'there is now salad bar'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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