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 given plans illustrates a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now :
Before redesigning cafe had a kitchen, serving area for example all food and drinks, a dining room for staff with some tables and chairs, a bin and some toilets. Whereas today, there is a kitchen for some hot meals, a salad bar, some tables and chairs , toilets, some recycling bins, a barbecue and some outdoor seating
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 74 words long. Consequently, the task is not fully addressed. While the student identifies some key features of the cafe before and after the redesign, the report lacks the necessary depth, detail, and comparative analysis required for an Academic Task 1 response. The summary is far too brief to provide a clear overview or to highlight significant changes effectively. To improve, the student must expand on the descriptions, provide more specific details from the visual data, and ensure the response meets the length requirement to allow for a full development of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is very short and lacks a clear paragraph structure. There is no introduction, body, or conclusion, which makes the progression of ideas difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are almost entirely absent, and the text relies on a simple list-like structure rather than a cohesive report. The use of 'Whereas' is a positive attempt at contrast, but it is insufficient to create a coherent flow. To improve, the student should organize the information into logical paragraphs—perhaps one for the 'before' state and one for the 'after' state—and use a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive, relying on simple nouns like 'tables', 'chairs', and 'kitchen'. There is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise language to describe the changes, such as 'transformed', 'expanded', or 'relocated'. While the vocabulary used is accurate enough to convey the basic meaning, it does not demonstrate the range required for a higher band score. To improve, the student should incorporate more descriptive verbs and adjectives to characterize the changes in the cafe's layout and facilities, moving beyond simple listing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The given plans illustrates') and missing articles ('before redesigning cafe'). The sentence structures are very simple, consisting mostly of lists rather than complex sentences. There is a lack of variety in grammatical forms, which limits the ability to express relationships between the two plans effectively. To improve, the student should focus on using a mix of simple and complex sentences, ensuring correct article usage, and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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