Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

The two plans show the layout of a college café before and after its redevelopment.

Overall, the redesign will introduce several new features to the café, particularly outdoor facilities, while the kitchen, staff dining rooms area, and toilets will remain in their original positions. However, the two staff dining rooms themselves will be removed and replaced with new food and drink counters.

In the café before redesign, tables and chairs are placed in the middle of the room, with a bin on the left side. Two staff dining rooms are located at the top of the café, next to the serving area, which leads down to the kitchen on the top left. The toilets are positioned at the bottom of the café.

After the redesign, the two staff dining rooms will be replaced by a takeaway food counter and a coffee bar. The tables and chairs will stay in the same place, but the bin next to the coffee bar will be changed into a recycling bin. Several new features will also be added outside the café. A salad bar will be placed to the left of the tables and chairs, and a barbecue area will be added at the bottom left of the outdoor space. In addition, outdoor seating will be introduced around these new features.

In conclusion, while the core areas of the café such as the kitchen and toilets will not change, the redevelopment will add a range of new indoor counters and outdoor dining features.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively covers all key features of the cafe redesign. You have successfully identified the main changes, such as the removal of staff dining rooms and the addition of outdoor facilities, while noting the areas that remained unchanged. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the transformation. The comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states is logical and well-supported by specific details from the plans. To reach a higher band, ensure that all spatial descriptions are precise; for instance, you mention the kitchen is on the 'top left' and the toilets at the 'bottom', which is accurate and helps the reader visualize the layout changes effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction, the 'before' state, the 'after' state, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'In the café before redesign', 'After the redesign', and 'In addition' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the information. The referencing is clear, and the logical flow between the indoor and outdoor changes is smooth. The paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different stages of the development, making the information easy to follow and digest.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for describing diagrams, such as 'redevelopment', 'layout', 'facilities', and 'introduced'. The word choices are generally precise and natural. While the vocabulary is sufficient and accurate, it stays within a relatively standard range. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or descriptive adjectives to describe the changes, such as 'undergone a significant transformation' or 'the layout has been reconfigured'. Overall, the language is clear, and there are no errors in word choice that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use future-oriented structures like 'will be replaced' and 'will be added' correctly to describe the planned changes. There is a high level of accuracy throughout the text, with very few grammatical errors. Punctuation is used correctly to separate clauses and list items. The control over tense consistency is strong, maintaining the focus on the future state of the cafe as requested by the prompt. The writing is fluent and error-free for the most part, which is indicative of a high level of grammatical control.

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

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