Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The diagram illustrate some changes that were made to a college cafe before and after its redesigned .
Overall, it is clear that a number of major changes were made to the college cafe before and after. These include, serving area was replaced by hot meals zone, staff dining rooms transformed into take away food and coffee bar. and expanded new barbecue are and so on.
Looking at the charts in more detail, we can see that the kitchen remained unchanged. The serving area transformed into hot meals, while the staff dinning room was replaced by take away room and coffee bar, respectively. New salad bar zone constructed western site of the cafe.
The two diagrams also show that. Tables and chairs area and toilets were remained unchanged. However, the bin expanded to the recycling bins, while build new outdoor seating area southern part of the cafe and expanded a barbecue zone south-western part of the cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, identifying key changes such as the new hot meals zone and the outdoor seating area. However, the overview is somewhat repetitive, stating 'before and after' twice in the introduction and overview. While the main features are highlighted, the description lacks precision in spatial referencing; for example, 'western site' and 'southern part' are used, but the overall summary could be more cohesive. The response meets the requirements of the task by reporting the main changes, but the lack of a clear, integrated overview prevents it from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, the phrase 'and so on' is inappropriate for an academic report. There are also issues with sentence structure, such as the fragment 'and expanded new barbecue are and so on.' and the misuse of 'respectively' when listing only two items. While there is a logical progression from the general overview to specific details, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and punctuation errors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes (e.g., 'transformed', 'expanded', 'constructed'). However, there are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'hot meals zone' instead of 'hot food area' and 'take away room' instead of 'takeaway area'. The spelling of 'dinning' (dining) and 'are' (area) also detracts from the quality. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the student relies on basic descriptors, which prevents the response from demonstrating the flexibility required for a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'The diagram illustrate' (subject-verb agreement), 'before it was redesigned' (the prompt uses this, but the student's usage is slightly awkward), and 'toilets were remained unchanged' (incorrect passive voice). Punctuation is also problematic, with sentences ending prematurely, such as 'coffee bar. and expanded new barbecue are'. These errors are frequent and occasionally make the reader work harder to understand the intended meaning, though the overall message remains clear.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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