Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The plans demonstrate the changes being made in the college cafe before and after the renovation.

Overall, there is a significant modernization seen in the cafe design now, as the previous design had some conventional rooms and fewer services available for the customers. The plan design itself stays the same; however, many developments are done by including additional facilities.

The cafe previously had a kitchen and a serving area at the top left of it. In the center, there was a huge space for putting the tables and chairs for the people coming in. It had two staff dining rooms associated alongside eachother. A bin was situated on the far right side of the place, while the toilet rooms were located in the bottom right corner of the cafe.

Currently, many places, such as the kitchen, toilets, and table and chair facilities, have stayed the same as they were before. However, the hot meals are replaced with the serving area. The staff dining rooms are replaced with the takeaway food and the coffee bar. There is the inclusion of a salad bar and a barbecue corner as well as the outside seating area for the people who want to eat in the exterior of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the cafe renovation, including the relocation of the kitchen, the introduction of new dining options like the salad bar and barbecue corner, and the addition of outdoor seating. The overview is clear and identifies the main trend of modernization. However, the description of the 'before' state is slightly inaccurate; for example, you mention the kitchen was at the top left, but the plan shows it in the top right. Additionally, the statement that the kitchen and toilets 'stayed the same' is not entirely supported by the visual evidence, as the layout shows minor adjustments. To reach a higher band, ensure your data reporting is precise and strictly reflects the provided diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the general layout to specific changes. Cohesive devices such as 'however', 'in the center', and 'currently' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is grouped thematically. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases further and ensure that the transition between the 'before' and 'after' descriptions is even smoother to avoid a slightly mechanical feel in the final paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'modernization', 'conventional', 'facilities', and 'exterior'. The language is generally natural and conveys the intended meaning without difficulty. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'associated alongside eachother' and 'the plan design itself stays the same', which sound slightly unnatural. To achieve a higher score, incorporate more precise descriptive language related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'transformed', rather than relying on simpler verbs like 'stayed' or 'replaced'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically sound, though there are occasional errors, such as 'many developments are done by including' (passive voice usage is slightly awkward here) and 'the people who want to eat in the exterior of the cafe' (preposition choice). Punctuation is generally accurate. To reach a higher band, aim to use a wider variety of complex structures, such as participial phrases or relative clauses, and ensure that your verb tenses remain consistent when describing past and present states.

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

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