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)
This diagram shows the main difference between a college cafe before and after it redesigned.
At first we can see that interior structure almost lives the same as before.Therefore the entry exist doors, the toilets and table and chairs location's is as before it was before redesigned.The kitchen area is also located same as it was before right after the serving area jointed with a single door.
Major difference we can see that there was not an outdoor sitting area before,moreover all kind of food were being served through a single place. In addition to the first plan,they reconstructed the serving area with along with varieties,for instance, only hot meals are being served right with kitchen area with a separate salad bar area in front of kitchen's door. Staff dining rooms are shifted to the "Take away" and a "Cafe Bar" respectively and bar-tending is also shifted in the outer area of cafe.
To summarize ,the inner building is the same just the locations are expended and some areas get new names.There was not an outdoor setting before ,now with offering beverage and many outdoor seats.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of the outdoor seating area and the reconfiguration of the serving counters. However, the description of the changes is somewhat confusing. For example, the statement that 'staff dining rooms are shifted to the Take away and a Cafe Bar' is unclear and does not accurately reflect the visual information provided. While the main features are identified, the lack of precision in describing the spatial changes limits the clarity of the report. To improve, ensure that comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states are more logically structured and factually precise.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'Therefore the entry exist doors' or 'In addition to the first plan'. The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track the specific changes being described. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the overall coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are frequent errors in word choice and collocation that occasionally impede meaning. Phrases like 'interior structure almost lives the same' (should be 'remains the same') and 'serving area jointed with a single door' are unnatural. There is an attempt to use specific terminology, such as 'reconstructed' and 'expended', but these are not always used in the correct context. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise vocabulary to describe spatial changes and ensure collocations are accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('table and chairs location's is'), incorrect word forms ('exist' instead of 'existing'), and awkward phrasing ('all kind of food were being served'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas and apostrophes. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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