Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

The two layouts illustrate a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks in the present day.

Overall, the café underwent significant redevelopment, with several facilities being added, relocated, removed, or replaced, although some features remained unchanged.

Regarding the first layout before the redesign, kitchen and serving area were located in the northwestern corner, whereas toilets and bins were situated in the southeastern corner. Furthermore, staff dining rooms and tables and chairs were located near the center of the cafe.

Turning to the second layout after the redesign, in the northwestern area, the kitchen remained unchanged, while the serving area was replaced with hot meals. Similarly, in the center of the café, the staff dining rooms were transformed into two separate areas, takeaway food and a coffee bar. In the southeastern area, the toilets remained the same and the bins were converted into recycling bins. By contrast, a salad bar was constructed in the western area, whereas barbecue and outdoor seating were installed in the southern area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively summarizes the main features of the cafe redesign. You have successfully identified the key changes, such as the addition of the salad bar and outdoor seating, and noted the areas that remained unchanged. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the transformation. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are fully explicit; for instance, you mention the kitchen remained unchanged, but you could further highlight the spatial shift or the overall increase in service variety to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the 'before and after' contrast.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The report is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the 'before' and 'after' states. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Regarding', 'Turning to', 'Similarly', and 'By contrast' helps guide the reader through the information effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, and paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the cafe's development. The structure is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, including terms like 'redevelopment', 'relocated', 'transformed', and 'converted'. The language is precise and appropriate for a report on visual data. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. To improve further, you could incorporate more sophisticated descriptive language to describe the spatial layout, such as 'situated in the periphery' or 'occupying the central space', to demonstrate a wider range of lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'the kitchen remained unchanged, while the serving area was replaced with hot meals.' Punctuation is generally accurate, and there are very few grammatical errors. The sentences are clear and well-constructed. To achieve a higher score, you could aim for a slightly greater variety of complex sentence structures, such as using more passive voice constructions or participial phrases to describe the changes more fluidly.

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.