Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-07

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 map illustrates the current and previous cafe design of a collage.

Overall, it is evident that there is a range of significant changes and additions between the present cafe design and the previous cafe.

According to the previous layout of the collage cafe, there was a bin in the left side at the entrance door and toilets at the southwest side of the cafe, there was two staff dining rooms in north after that kitchen and the servicing are were in the northwest side according to before redesign.

In the new planned layout of the cafe, on the other hand, there are recycling bins on the left just after entry, and new take away food and a coffee bar has been developed beside table and chair, in the west side of the building there is a new salad bar; however, the noticeable change have done in the south side of the cafe by adding new barbecue section and also placing bunch of outdoor seating.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of the salad bar, barbecue section, and seating. However, the report lacks precision in describing the spatial relationships. For instance, the description of the 'previous layout' is somewhat confusing and lacks a clear comparison to the current state. While the main features are identified, the summary could be more analytical by grouping changes more logically (e.g., food service areas vs. seating areas). The overview is present but could be more descriptive regarding the nature of the transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'on the other hand' and 'however', but they are occasionally used in a way that feels mechanical or slightly misaligned with the logical progression of the comparison. The referencing of locations (e.g., 'southwest side', 'north') is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to visualise the changes accurately.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are some spelling errors, such as 'collage' instead of 'college' and 'servicing are' instead of 'servicing area'. The student relies on basic descriptors like 'new' and 'significant'. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise terminology related to architectural changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', 'transformed', or 'converted'. The use of 'bunch of' is too informal for an Academic Task 1 report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'there was two staff dining rooms' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'the noticeable change have done' (incorrect passive voice construction). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices in the second paragraph. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band score.

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

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