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 Current redeveloped layout of a college cafetaria and how it was before are given by two figures.
Overall, the new canteen is more modern and provides good seating and take away facilities and offers variety of new dishes such as barbecue, salad and coffee. Moreover, it also promotes environmental sustainibilty by replacing simple bins with recycling bins.
First of all, staff dining rooms on the Northern side are replaced by coffee bar and a take away reception. Secondly, a barbecue shop is introduced at the South West corner of the canteen. Moreover, a new outdoor sitting area is introduced on the northern side of canteen.
Additionally, students can enjoy healthy salad from salad bar, which is newly placed on the West side of the canteen and general serving area is now used just for the hot meals while normal bins are replaced by advance recycling bins. At the end, the fewer things remained uncahnged including toilets, indoor tables and chairs and the kitchen.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the redesign well, identifying key changes such as the new coffee bar, salad bar, and outdoor seating. However, the overview is slightly problematic; it includes information not present in the diagrams, such as 'barbecue' and 'variety of new dishes,' which are not explicitly shown on the plans. This represents a slight misinterpretation of the visual data. While the main features are highlighted, the report would benefit from a more precise focus on the spatial changes rather than speculating on the menu items, which are not supported by the provided images.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific areas of the cafe. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all,' 'Secondly,' and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader through the changes. However, the transition 'At the end' is slightly unnatural in this context, and the flow between some sentences feels a bit mechanical. Despite these minor issues, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a Task 1 response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'redeveloped,' 'environmental sustainability,' and 'take away facilities' used correctly. There are some spelling errors, such as 'cafetaria' (cafeteria), 'sustainibilty' (sustainability), and 'uncahnged' (unchanged), which slightly detract from the overall quality. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. The student relies on some basic descriptors, and the inclusion of information not supported by the visual data suggests a need for more careful word choice based strictly on the provided evidence.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'The Current redeveloped layout... are given' (subject-verb agreement), 'fewer things remained uncahnged' (incorrect usage of 'fewer'), and 'general serving area is now used just for the hot meals' (missing article). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure occasionally feels repetitive. The errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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