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 plans illustrate the information about the college cafe structure before its renovation and after it redesign.
Overall, the cafe before redesign contains less space than the cafe after renovation, because cafe after redesign has more space for seating and also there are many areas which remain same after the reconstruction such as bin and toilets.
Cafe before construction, have staff dining rooms connected with customers seating area, there were only indoor seating area which consisted of more space of the cafe. Moreover, the Kitchen was connected to serving area for all food and drink. Toilets were situated in the bottom right corner and after some space bin was also there.
Today, the kitchen is place remain same as its general position and remain it is connected to hot meal serving area. staff dining rooms are replace by take away food area and coffee bar. Additionally, salad bar added to the left corner and make the outdoor seating also with barbecue room. Toilets and recycling bin remained same at the right corner of the cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe plans, including the addition of the outdoor seating and the reconfiguration of the interior. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify key changes, such as the replacement of the staff dining room with a takeaway area, the description lacks precision in spatial reporting. For instance, stating the kitchen 'is place remain same' is unclear. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more detailed overview of the transformation and use more precise comparative language to highlight the differences between the two layouts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow of ideas is often hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, 'Moreover, the Kitchen was connected...' and 'Additionally, salad bar added...' feel somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is present but often repetitive or slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one to create a smoother progression of information throughout the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'space', 'remain', and 'connected'. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'before its renovation and after it redesign' (should be 'its redesign') and 'is place remain same'. To achieve a higher score, you should attempt to use a more varied range of vocabulary related to describing changes, such as 'converted', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'integrated', and pay closer attention to word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('cafe before construction, have staff dining rooms'), missing articles ('salad bar added to the left corner'), and awkward verb tenses ('staff dining rooms are replace'). While the meaning is generally understandable, these persistent errors prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction, correct verb forms, and the consistent use of articles will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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