Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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.

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The building drawings illustrate a coffee shop situated in a college before its design was changed and how it looks at present.

Overall, the major changes that are noticeable are there were no outdoor seating facility before and the staff dining rooms are completely removed and replaced with take away food and coffee bar section.

If we look inside the main building of the coffee shop then we notice that the serving area which was used for serving all food and drink is now only used for serving hot meals. There is a salad bar integrated inside for serving salad. The dust bin is replaced with recycling bins to reuse the wasted foods, plastic, and other paper materials.

Now, looking outside the main compound of the coffee shop, it is very noticeable that they utilized the outside space by integrating outdoor seating for the customer who wants to enjoy the outside fresh air with the hot barbecue freshly served from the newly added Barbecue section. To compare both the design before and after, the most significant change was the outside seating space.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully identifies the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of outdoor seating and the reconfiguration of the interior. You have provided a clear overview and supported it with specific details. However, to reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise. For example, you mention the 'serving area' is now for 'hot meals', but you could more clearly contrast this with the previous layout where it served all food. The report covers all key changes, but the description of the 'dust bin' being replaced by 'recycling bins' is a minor detail that could be balanced with more focus on the major structural changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Overall', 'If we look inside', and 'Now, looking outside', which help guide the reader through the information. However, the transition between the interior and exterior descriptions could be smoother. Some of the linking phrases are a bit repetitive or mechanical. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'integrated', 'reconfigured', and 'compound'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'building drawings' (which should be 'floor plans') and 'wasted foods' (which is better expressed as 'food waste'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Attempting to use more specific collocations related to architectural changes would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'there were no outdoor seating facility' (should be 'there was no outdoor seating facility') and 'for the customer who wants' (should be plural 'customers'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but some sentences are slightly clunky. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. The errors present do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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