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 plans illustrates the college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Cafe before redesigin contained a kitchen and accross the kitchen, they had a sevrving area (all food & drink). It also had two staff dining rooms wheras there was a main gate to enter in table and chairs room.A bin is located near the main entrence and next to bin are toilets.

On the side, cafe today has a hot meals in the place of serving area. Staff dining rooms were changed into take food and coffee bar. Tables and chairs are at their same place. A new recycling bins is installed in the place of bins. There is a significant change, outdoor seating for the barbecue and salad bar

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 ability to fully develop the description of the changes. While you have identified some key features, such as the kitchen, serving area, and the new outdoor seating, the summary is incomplete and lacks a clear overview of the most significant transformations. The description is somewhat fragmented, and the failure to reach the length requirement means that the information is not fully extended or supported as required by the task instructions. To improve, ensure you provide a clear introductory summary and a more detailed comparison of the before and after states.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into two short paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While there is an attempt to contrast the 'before' and 'after' states, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the description of the kitchen and the staff dining rooms is abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'on the side', which does not effectively guide the reader through the spatial changes in the cafe. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would help improve the overall flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally basic and repetitive. There are several spelling errors, such as 'redesigin', 'accross', 'sevrving', and 'entrence', which distract the reader. While you successfully use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'recycling bins', 'barbecue', and 'salad bar', the range is limited. To achieve a higher band score, you should aim to use more precise descriptive language to convey the changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', or 'replaced', and ensure that your spelling is accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The plans illustrates', 'A new recycling bins is installed') and missing articles ('at their same place', 'in the place of bins'). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, which limits the grammatical range. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Additionally, try to incorporate more complex sentence forms, such as using relative clauses or passive voice, to describe the changes more effectively.

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