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 floor plans illustrate the layout of a college cafe prior to its redesign and the changes made to its current layout.

Overall, we can observe that the cafe went through an outdoor and indoor redesign. Before the redesign, only 2 doors were available, and after the redesign, 2 more were created.

Firstly, the cafe before the redesign consisted of a bin, kitchen, toilets, and two rooms inside the cafe, which were remodelled. The two rooms were staff dining rooms, and after the redesign they were converted into take away food area and a coffee bar; the bin was converted into a recycling bin, which is good for the environment.

Secondly, the outdoor area of the cafe was changed to make space for outdoor seating, with two doors on either side of the outdoor seating. A barbecue heater was also added for special barbecue dishes available in the cafe in the future. The kitchen remained the same, and a place for the hot meals to be placed was added beside the kitchen.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the redesign, such as the conversion of the staff rooms and the addition of outdoor seating. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of the 'barbecue heater' is a minor detail, while more significant structural changes, such as the removal of the internal wall or the expansion of the seating area, are not fully highlighted. The overview is functional but lacks a clear synthesis of the most significant changes. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping the changes more logically (e.g., internal vs. external) and providing a more comprehensive summary of the transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly' helps guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more precise. For example, the phrase 'the two rooms were staff dining rooms' could be better linked to the previous sentence to improve flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is generally clear, though the connection between the indoor and outdoor changes could be smoother to create a more cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for a clear description of the changes. You use terms like 'remodelled', 'converted', and 'layout' effectively. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to use simple phrasing. For example, 'which is good for the environment' is informal and lacks the precision expected in an academic report. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'extended', or 'integrated', to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most sentences are clear, there are some minor grammatical issues, such as 'a place for the hot meals to be placed was added', which is wordy and passive. Additionally, the punctuation is generally correct, but some sentences could be more concisely constructed. The majority of the text is error-free, and the errors present do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, aim for more varied sentence structures, such as using participle clauses to describe changes more fluidly.

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

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