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 maps compares layout of the cafe before and after its redesign.

Overall, the cafe has been redesigned significantly with the addition of extra services like barbecue, salad bar and a larger seating area, whilst kitchen and toilets remained unchanged.

In the north-western part of the cafe, kitchen remained the same, however, serving area for all food and drink has been replaced with hot meals. Two rooms (staff dining rooms), on the northern wall of the cafe has been transformed to take away food and coffee bar. Bin on the eastern side, has been replaced with recycling bins.

Toilets remained unchanged on their place, however salad bar has been added on the western wall. Similarly, outside the cafe, barbecue has been added on the south-western side of the cafe. Lastly, a large seating area has been added outside the southern wall of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview of the main changes, such as the addition of the barbecue and seating area. However, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the score. While the key features are identified, the description of the layout changes is somewhat brief. To improve, ensure you provide a more detailed account of the spatial relationships and dimensions, and always aim to exceed the word count to ensure all aspects of the task are fully developed. The failure to meet the minimum length constraint is a significant factor in this assessment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the changes. Cohesive devices such as 'however', 'similarly', and 'lastly' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the kitchen area and the staff dining rooms could be better integrated. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner, but the paragraphing could be more balanced to ensure a more natural progression of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'redesigned', 'transformed', and 'layout'. However, there are some inaccuracies and missing articles, such as 'kitchen remained the same' (should be 'the kitchen') and 'Bin on the eastern side' (should be 'The bin'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise descriptive language related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'converted', and pay closer attention to the use of articles and prepositions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly regarding article usage ('kitchen remained', 'Bin on the eastern side') and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on the consistent use of articles and ensure that complex sentences are constructed with greater accuracy. Proofreading for minor slips in pluralization and prepositional phrases would also help elevate the grammatical control of your writing.

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

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