Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08
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 given illustrates the design of a high school cafe before restructuring and after the restructuring.
Most of the unused spaces has been changed after redesigning the cafe. The kitchen, toilet area, recycle bins and tables and chairs are somehow remains at the same place of the cafe shop.
The serving area has been restructured into the hot meals area which is in the south of kitchen premise. The small area of tables and chairs part has been used as a salad bar space. The staff dining rooms are completely changed into two different space for take away food and coffee bar which is in the northern part of tables and chairs part.
The storage of recycled products has been enlarged in the same previously used area. Previously, the southern area was completely unused. But after redesigning, the empty space has been well utilized and changes into the barbecue station and large outdoor seating with numerous tables and chairs for their customers.
In stark contrast, presently, the whole space of the cafe has been restructured and gives the restaurant a better place for cutomers to dine and fine.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, identifying key changes such as the addition of the barbecue station and the conversion of the staff dining rooms. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant transformation, which is the expansion of the dining area and the better utilization of previously unused space. While the main features are reported, the description of the layout is occasionally imprecise, such as describing the kitchen as remaining in the same place when the plans show it has been relocated. To improve, ensure that comparisons are more accurate and that the overview highlights the most striking changes rather than just listing them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs focusing on specific areas, and a concluding sentence. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In stark contrast' and 'Previously', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'The staff dining rooms are completely changed into two different space'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when describing locations (e.g., 'northern part of tables and chairs part'). Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns and references clearly point to the intended features would enhance the coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with attempts at descriptive language like 'restructured', 'utilized', and 'stark contrast'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'cafe shop' (redundant), 'kitchen premise' (unnatural), and 'dine and fine' (likely a misuse of 'dine and wine' or simply incorrect). There is also a minor spelling error: 'cutomers'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for spatial descriptions and ensure that collocations are natural and appropriate for a formal report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Most of the unused spaces has been changed') and pluralization errors ('two different space'). Some sentences are slightly awkward in their construction, such as 'The kitchen... are somehow remains at the same place'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage 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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