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 diagram illustrates how the layout of a college café changed before and after it was redesigned

Overall, the café underwent significant redevelopment. The former staff dining area has been removed,

while in the new design outdoor seating area has been given.

Before the redesign, most of the café was occupied by a staff dining area, and their were tables and chairs are center part of the cafe. There was a kitchen at the upper left corner and a serving area for all kinds of food and drinks. The bin and the toliets are in lower right of the cafe.

Since then, the facility has witnessed extensive renovation. The entrance was at the same place, but former staff dining area has now changed into take away food and coffee bar and the center tables and chairs are also not changed. The new designed has introduced salad bar and outdoor seating area for all, the kitchen was also same, but the serving area has replace to hot meals area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the removal of the staff dining area and the addition of the outdoor seating and salad bar. However, the response lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you mention the cafe underwent significant redevelopment, you could improve by explicitly contrasting the overall flow or the shift in purpose (e.g., from a staff-focused area to a more public-facing layout). Some details, such as the location of the kitchen, are described as 'same' without clearly highlighting the spatial relationship to other features. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise and that the overview synthesizes the most significant changes rather than just listing them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the 'before' to the 'after' state. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall,' 'Before the redesign,' and 'Since then' to signal transitions. However, the internal cohesion within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition between the description of the kitchen and the serving area in the final paragraph is slightly abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as 'the serving area has replace to hot meals area,' which makes the spatial relationship difficult to visualize. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun usage would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redevelopment,' 'renovation,' and 'layout.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'new designed has introduced' (should be 'new design') and 'serving area has replace to' (should be 'replaced by'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your descriptions. To improve, focus on using more varied collocations related to spatial changes and ensure that you use the correct word forms (e.g., nouns vs. verbs) when describing the modifications to the cafe's facilities.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'their were tables' (should be 'there were'), 'toliets are in lower right' (missing article 'the'), and 'the serving area has replace to' (incorrect verb tense and preposition). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over basic grammar, particularly subject-verb agreement, article usage, and consistent tense management when describing past and present states.

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

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