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 given map gives us the information about the a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks at present.

It was fairly simple. kitchen can be seen in the north. Serving area( all food & drink) can be noticed at the center of the cafe. Staff dining rooms and table and chairs were in the in the East. Bin and toilets were in the south east.

A drastic change can be seen in the cafe today. New development can be seen in the form of cafe. Kitchen can be seen in the north. It can be noticed that replaced by area of Hot meals, Take away food, coffee bar has been shifted. Salad bar and barbecue can be noticed in the west. It can be noticed that Recycling bins and Toilets in the east. Outdoor seating can be seen in the south.

Overall, after analyzing the map a positive development can be seen in the Cafe

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe plans, identifying the key changes such as the addition of outdoor seating and the relocation of service areas. However, the description is somewhat superficial. For instance, the phrase 'New development can be seen in the form of cafe' is vague and does not clearly describe the structural changes. The report lacks a clear, analytical overview that synthesises the changes effectively. While all parts of the task are addressed, the information is presented as a list of locations rather than a cohesive comparison of the redesign, which limits the depth of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and repetitive. The phrase 'It can be noticed that' is used three times in the third paragraph alone, which makes the writing feel formulaic. There is a lack of variety in linking words, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs is somewhat disjointed. While the overall arrangement is logical, the lack of sophisticated transitions and the repetitive sentence starters prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Words like 'seen', 'noticed', and 'area' are used frequently throughout the text. There is little attempt to use more precise or descriptive language to convey the changes (e.g., 'relocated', 'transformed', 'expanded', or 'converted'). While the meaning is clear and communication is not impeded, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is no evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic control that would be expected at a higher level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures, specifically the passive voice ('can be seen', 'can be noticed'). While these are grammatically correct, the lack of complex sentence structures limits the grammatical range. There are minor errors, such as 'the a college cafe' (article error) and 'in the in the East' (repetition). Punctuation is generally functional, but the overall control of grammar is restricted to basic patterns. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions, to describe the changes more fluidly.

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

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