Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plane provided below illustrate how a collage cafe looked before it was redesigned and after it was redesigned.
Before the cafe redesigned consisted a kitchen and the serving at the top, with tables and chairs which occupied most of the space and there were staff dining room in the center of the cafe. While the toilets were located at the bottom-right corner and a dust bin was placed at the right-hand wall.
After the cafe redesigned , the serving was replaced by hot meals, staff dining were removed and added take away food and cafe bar. Salad bar is added at the left side of the cafe, recycling bin is replaced by bin, toilets remained the same. Cafe included barbecue at the outside if the cafe with outdoor seating.
Overall, the cafe has undergone in several significant changes, including the addition of new food and sitting facilities. Th staff dining room was removed, while the salad bar was added and new outdoor sitting was added including barbecue.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 cafe redesign, including the removal of the staff dining room and the addition of the salad bar and outdoor seating. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the most significant changes. While the task is addressed, the reporting of information is occasionally imprecise, such as stating 'recycling bin is replaced by bin' without clarifying the nature of the change. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping information more logically and providing a more sophisticated summary of the transformation rather than simply listing changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and basic. Phrases like 'Before the cafe redesigned' and 'After the cafe redesigned' are used as paragraph starters, which feels mechanical. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the list of changes lacks smooth transitions. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences flow more naturally into one another would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'The plane provided' (likely meant 'plans') and 'the serving was replaced by hot meals'. The use of 'bin' and 'dust bin' is repetitive and lacks variety. To improve, try to use more specific terminology related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', 'converted', or 'expanded'. Additionally, ensure you are using the correct word forms, such as 'redesign' as a noun versus 'redesigned' as a verb.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. Examples include 'The plane provided below illustrate' (subject-verb agreement error), 'Before the cafe redesigned consisted a kitchen' (missing subject/preposition), and 'The staff dining room was removed, while the salad bar was added and new outdoor sitting was added'. There are also issues with article usage and word order. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and prepositional accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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