Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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 picture gives information about the layout of the cafe earlier and now after renovation. Overall it can be seen that cafe's layout has changed a lot after renovation.

To begin, it can be seen from the picture that cafe had a kitchen at the back, which remains the same but the serving area for all food and drink has been transformed into only for hot meals. Moreover, cafe's hall before renovation consist some table chairs and staff dining room. However, Staff dining room is now removed and take away food and coffee bar has been constructed there.

Furthermore, a new salad bar has been added on the left side of the hall also recycle bin on the right has been enlarged. two new entrance also been added in the front of hall. Therefore, before there was nothing outside the cafe; however, after renovation barbecue and some seating has been addend to the front of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the kitchen, the serving area, and the new outdoor additions. You provided a clear overview and made relevant comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states. However, the response could be improved by being more precise with spatial descriptions. For example, stating 'two new entrance also been added' is slightly vague regarding their location. Additionally, while you mentioned the salad bar and recycle bin, providing more specific details about the overall flow of the cafe would have strengthened the analysis. Overall, you have covered the key changes effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion-like structure. You use transition signals such as 'To begin', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Therefore, before there was nothing outside the cafe'. Paragraphing is present, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. Some referencing is slightly unclear, and the connection between the ideas within the paragraphs could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using words like 'renovation', 'transformed', 'constructed', and 'enlarged'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'consist some table chairs' (should be 'consisted of some tables and chairs') and 'addend' (a spelling error for 'added'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more varied verbs and nouns related to architectural changes and spatial layout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with articles ('the cafe', 'a kitchen'), subject-verb agreement ('cafe's hall... consist'), and verb tense consistency ('two new entrance also been added'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not fully impede communication. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically pluralization and the correct use of auxiliary verbs in passive constructions.

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

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