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 given two pictures of cafe depicts the changes after and before of the cafe. Overall, the cafe has a barbecue option now at the one corner of outside including the sitting area of about 26 people. The premises of the cafe from inside has many changes which includes, take away food option, a coffee bar and, a precise area for salad bar. Recycling bins has been dramatically increased in the size.
In contrast, after the renovation, the cafe has more space and variety of facilities to facilitate people with options for inside and outside gathering. Take away food option and coffee bar are now available, at the place of staff dinning rooms. The kitchen size is exactly the same as earlier but, now the cafe is providing hot meals only, instead of all the food and drinks. The size of bins has been added by almost three times to clear the waste.
In conclusion, the space of cafe after the changes has been became more attractive to facilitate more people including the choices of indoor and outdoor sitting.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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, such as the addition of the barbecue area, the coffee bar, and the recycling bins. However, the report lacks precision in describing the spatial changes. For instance, stating the kitchen size is 'exactly the same' is a good observation, but the claim that the cafe now provides 'hot meals only' is not supported by the visual evidence provided in the prompt. The summary is somewhat superficial and misses key comparative details, such as the removal of the staff dining room or the specific relocation of the entrance. To reach a higher band, you should focus on accurately reporting the data presented in the diagrams rather than making assumptions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure for a report. However, the flow of ideas is occasionally disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'In contrast' and 'In conclusion'. Some sentences lack clear logical progression, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition between the kitchen description and the bin size is abrupt. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes effectively. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You used some basic descriptors like 'many changes' and 'more space', which could be more specific. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'the size of bins has been added by almost three times', which is not natural English phrasing. While you successfully used terms like 'renovation' and 'facilities', the range is limited. To improve, try to use more precise verbs and nouns related to spatial changes, such as 'expanded', 'relocated', or 'partitioned'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'The given two pictures of cafe depicts' contains subject-verb agreement and article errors. The phrase 'has been became' is grammatically incorrect. Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as the unnecessary comma in 'and, a precise area'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb tense usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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