Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The plan illustrates the changes made in college cafe before redesign and how it looks now.

Overall, the changes made in college cafe by adding the salad bar, take away food, coffee bar, barbeque and outdoor seating. this are huge changes are done.

The college cafe looks small but after redesigning the cafe looks much better than previous. The facilities included and changes made are in place serving area it came hot meals, changes also made staff dining rooms replaced with take away food and coffee bar, bin were replaced with bigger one, in corner the barbeque area have been added.

The major changes were made in outside the college cafe area by building a outdoor seating with more table and chairs. Inside the cafe the table and chairs were remains the same and the washroom remains as it is.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While you identify some key features like the salad bar and outdoor seating, the summary is underdeveloped. You describe the changes in a fragmented way rather than providing a clear, analytical overview of the transformation. Furthermore, the description of the 'hot meals' and 'staff dining room' is confusing and lacks the precision required for an Academic Task 1 report. To improve, ensure you provide a clear overview of the main trends and use specific data or spatial descriptions to compare the 'before' and 'after' states more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is very limited, often relying on simple sentence structures that do not link ideas logically. For example, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. The second paragraph contains a run-on sentence ('...barbeque and outdoor seating. this are huge changes are done.') which disrupts the reading process. To improve, use a wider range of linking words such as 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'in contrast' to connect your observations and create a more professional, cohesive report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive, relying on simple verbs like 'made,' 'looks,' and 'added.' There is little attempt to use academic or descriptive language appropriate for a report on architectural plans. Phrases like 'the barbeque area have been added' and 'the table and chairs were remains the same' show issues with word choice and collocation. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated,' 'expanded,' 'converted,' or 'installed,' and ensure your word forms are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('this are huge changes,' 'barbeque area have been added'), incorrect verb tenses ('the table and chairs were remains'), and missing articles. The sentence structures are predominantly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences are often marred by errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that you are using the correct tense when describing past and present states.

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