Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-06

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 mentioned plan layouts illustrate a college cafe. Where, top first mentioned layout is the design before modification and the layout on the below side is mentioning the difference after the modification,

Before it was redesigned, there was not allotted space for salad bar, barbeque and outside seating arrangements which is now considered in the new design. The space occupied for common area of tables and chairs i.e. inside seating, toilets and a kitchen will remain the same as it was earlier. There were staff dining rooms available near the inside seating area, where some modifications are done and it is now converted into take away food and coffee bar. Serving area still remains at the same location, but before it was only used for all food and drinks and now it will be utilized for hot meals only. For outside seating arrangements, the new dedicated area is designed where barbeque section is added there.

And lastly, recycle zone was limited in the previous layout. Which is now extended to some big space to dump the wastage. To conclude with new cafe design, it contains more options like seating arrangements, serving of food, better recycling area and add-on varieties of food section.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of the salad bar, barbeque, and the conversion of the staff dining room. You also made relevant comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states. However, the response lacks a clear overview paragraph, which is essential for a Band 7 or higher. The introduction is slightly awkward in its phrasing, and the conclusion is a bit repetitive. To improve, ensure you provide a concise summary of the most significant changes in the opening paragraph to give the reader a clear 'big picture' before diving into the details.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, and there is a clear progression from the general layout to specific changes. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as starting sentences with 'Where,' or 'And lastly,'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the opening paragraph where the sentence structure is fragmented. Improving the flow between sentences using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' 'in contrast') would help the text read more smoothly and elevate the coherence score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'modification,' 'allotted,' 'dedicated,' and 'recycling zone.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'dump the wastage' (which sounds informal) and 'add-on varieties of food section.' The phrasing 'top first mentioned layout' is also quite unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding informal phrasing. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated synonyms for 'change' or 'increase' would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'there was not allotted space' (should be 'no allotted space'), 'some modifications are done' (should be 'have been done'), and 'recycle zone was limited' (missing an article). Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack proper punctuation, which affects the overall accuracy. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and passive voice constructions, which are crucial for describing diagrams.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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