Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The graph shows the renovation of a college cafe and a new developments that has been made.
Evidently, we can see the expansion of the cafe with a new outdoor setting and addition of new counters,
The previous staff dining rooms have been transformed into a take way counter and a coffee bar. Serving area caters to hot meals which is a substantial difference from the previous design where it used to serve all kinds of food and drink. Additionally the previous bins have been turned into a more ecofriendly recycling bins.
Some majors additions that has been made is a salad bar and a barbecue stand. The salad bar was added to the seating area inside the cafe whereas the barbecue stand was added in the outer seating area. New pathways or doors have been added from the outer seating area to make toilet more accessible to the customers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the expansion, new counters, and the addition of specific facilities like the salad bar and barbecue stand. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes, such as the overall increase in seating capacity or the shift in layout. While the response identifies key additions, it could be improved by grouping the information more logically—for instance, contrasting the indoor and outdoor changes more explicitly. The description of the 'hot meals' area is a bit vague compared to the visual evidence provided in the plans.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into three paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. There is a logical progression from the general expansion to specific functional changes. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition between sentences could be smoother; phrases like 'Additionally' and 'Some majors additions' are used, but the flow between the description of the staff dining rooms and the serving area is slightly disjointed. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to better link the 'before' and 'after' states.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes clearly. Terms like 'renovation', 'expansion', 'ecofriendly', and 'accessible' are used correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'take way counter' (should be 'takeaway') and 'majors additions' (should be 'major additions'). The range is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the more sophisticated or precise vocabulary that would be expected at a higher band level, such as 'transformed', 'reconfigured', or 'integrated'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'a new developments' (should be 'a new development'), 'Some majors additions that has been made' (should be 'Some major additions that have been made'), and 'make toilet more accessible' (should be 'make the toilets more accessible'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. A greater variety of error-free complex structures would be needed to reach a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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