Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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 two diagrams illustrate the changes in a college cafe before and after its redesign.

Overall, the cafe underwent a major transformation, which mainly focused on the replacement of staff-related areas with the students and customers service facilities. Moreover, there was the addition of extra space outside the cafe for outdoor seating.

Initially, the layout demonstrates that before the alteration, on one side of the cafe there was a kitchen and a serving area, next to it there was an enormous seating area. On one side of main seating zone there were a staff dining room. Furthermore, toilets and a bin were placed in one corner of the building.

After the redesign, the original serving area was replaced by a hot meals counter. Furthermore, a take away food and a coffee bar were built in the location of former staff dining room. Additional features included a new salad bar at one side of the seating region. For outdoor seating and barbecue extra region was installed. The old bin was replaced with modern recycling bins. Today's cafe has more services for the customers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively addresses the task by identifying the main features and comparing the two layouts. You have clearly highlighted the major transformations, such as the replacement of the staff dining room and the addition of outdoor facilities. The overview is concise and captures the essence of the changes. To reach a higher band, ensure that all spatial relationships are described with absolute precision; for instance, the location of the new salad bar could be more clearly linked to the existing seating area. Overall, the information is well-selected and the report is accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a sensible progression from the original layout to the redesigned one. You use cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Furthermore', and 'After the redesign' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, 'on one side of main seating zone' lacks a determiner, and the flow between sentences could be improved by varying the sentence starters more naturally. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'transformation', 'alteration', and 'facilities' appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'students and customers service facilities' (which is slightly awkward) and 'seating region' (where 'area' would be more standard). You successfully use specific terminology related to the cafe layout, such as 'hot meals counter' and 'recycling bins'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, though it lacks the sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles and prepositions. For example, 'there were a staff dining room' should be 'there was a staff dining room', and 'a take away food' is incorrect as 'takeaway' is uncountable here. Additionally, 'on one side of main seating zone' is missing an article. Despite these errors, the sentence structures are varied enough to maintain interest, and the errors do not impede communication.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.