Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given plans display's a college cafe before and after it was redesigned.Before the redesign, the cafe portray's a very trdaitional cafeteria with basic kitchen area and in front of it there is a serving area where food and drinks are served.
In contrast, the newer cafe has a kitchen area with a place serving hot meals. Both cafe's showcases an area where tables and chairs are placed for the students and redesigned cafe have a salad bar. Additionally, the cafe today has some call stuff as well like a coffee bar and a takeaway food area.
The bin on the right-side area remains the same but it has been renamed as recycling bin.Other than this the cafe that they've recently built has an outdoor area as well for the students to have fun and spend some quality time with their friends and fellow students after the hectic class schedule. The outdoor area also has a barbeque corner. Which is something that is definitely a very fun element to the cafe.
To summarize this all up the cafe before it got resigned was very traditional and typical whereas the newer cafe has a lot of interesting stuff such a coffee bar, salad bar and an outside corner where students can enjoy barbecue.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, including the kitchen, seating, and new additions like the salad bar and outdoor area. However, the response lacks a clear overview paragraph, which is essential for a high band score in Task 1. You have included some subjective commentary, such as describing the outdoor area as a place to 'have fun' and 'spend quality time,' which is not appropriate for an academic report. You should focus on objective descriptions of the spatial changes rather than speculating on the students' social experiences. The comparison between the two plans is present, but it could be more structured to highlight the transformation more effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition between the description of the bin and the outdoor area is abrupt. While you use some linking words like 'In contrast' and 'Additionally,' the flow between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'To summarize this all up,' which is a bit informal for an academic task. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring a logical progression from one feature to the next would improve the coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is often repetitive and occasionally informal. Phrases like 'some call stuff' and 'have fun' are not suitable for an academic report. You attempt to use some specific vocabulary related to the task, such as 'traditional,' 'redesigned,' and 'recycling bin,' which is good. However, there are several word-choice errors, such as 'portray's' instead of 'portrayed' or 'represented.' To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise, academic vocabulary to describe the changes in the layout and avoid colloquial expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and apostrophe usage. For example, you wrote 'plans display's' instead of 'plans display' and 'cafe's' (plural) instead of 'cafes.' There are also issues with sentence structure, such as the sentence fragment 'Which is something that is definitely a very fun element to the cafe.' While you attempt some complex sentences, the high frequency of basic errors in punctuation and verb forms hinders the overall clarity. Focusing on proofreading for these common slips would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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