Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05
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 image shows two versions of a cafe, one before redesigning and one after redesigning. The first cafe is a simple one while the one made after is made more complex. The first one has only one place for cooking while the other has many places for different dishes to cook. The second one also has a bigger recycle bin. But I think after redesigning, the cafe has no room for staff meals. In addition the new cafe also has an outdoor setting area, where people can enjoy their meals more.
Features
If I have to mention the main of each
cafe, then The first one include a kitchen,
serving area for all food and drinks, staff dining
rooms, tables and chair chairs place, toilets, etc.
On the other hand the redesigned cafe is
more complex as it include kitchen, place for
hot meals, salad bar, cooking place for barbecue,
coffe bar, take away food apartment etc.
On the other hand people of ancient
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response attempts to describe the changes in the cafe, but it fails to provide a clear overview or a structured summary of the main features. The inclusion of personal opinion ('But I think...') is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report, which requires objective analysis. Furthermore, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly with 'On the other hand people of ancient', which indicates a failure to finish the task. While some features are mentioned, the lack of a cohesive summary and the inclusion of irrelevant personal commentary significantly limit the achievement of the task requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a logical structure. The division into 'Features' and the preceding paragraph is disjointed, and the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and often misused, such as the repetitive use of 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is not used effectively to guide the reader through the comparison of the two plans. The abrupt ending further disrupts the flow of information, making the overall progression unclear. The response fails to demonstrate a clear logical organization of the data provided in the diagrams.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying on simple descriptors like 'simple', 'complex', and 'place'. There is an attempt to use specific terminology related to the cafe layout (e.g., 'salad bar', 'coffee bar'), but these are limited. The phrasing is often unnatural, such as 'take away food apartment' and 'tables and chair chairs place'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information with precision or variety, which is necessary for a higher band score in this task type.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The first one include', 'it include') and awkward phrasing ('the one made after is made more complex'). While there is a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, the control is weak, and errors are frequent. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly in the list of features. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of the description, reflecting a limited command of sentence structure and grammatical accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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