Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The plans shows data about a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.
Overall, College cafe before redesigned was simple such as when we enter the college cafe we see a hall where chair and tables for sitting and eating anything in the left side two room for staff dining rooms. However, today college cafe is modern and more different as compared before redesign particularly added some new things and area or place such as hot meals area barbecue or outdoor seating.
On the first hand, cafe before redesign look like a big area where we enter see a big hall called seating area for eating and enjoy on the left side located two room called staff dining rooms on the right side a only one toilet or kitchen.
On the other hand, cafe today is very modern and change as such when we enter in the cafe we can see some new area some changed things particularly staff dining rooms now convert in take away food or coffee bar and add a hot meals on the right side as well add outdoor area and barbecue as well.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response identifies the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the conversion of staff rooms and the addition of new facilities like the outdoor seating and barbecue area. However, the report lacks a clear, concise overview of the most significant changes, and the description is somewhat repetitive. The information is presented in a way that is occasionally difficult to follow due to the lack of precise spatial referencing. To improve, ensure that the overview highlights the most striking transformations rather than just listing features, and focus on providing a more structured comparison between the two time periods.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. While the student attempts to use cohesive devices like 'On the first hand' and 'On the other hand', these are used incorrectly in this context (these phrases are for presenting opposing arguments, not describing physical locations). The referencing is often unclear, making it difficult for the reader to track the changes between the 'before' and 'after' plans. Improving the use of linking words and spatial markers would significantly enhance the flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic words like 'area', 'things', and 'place'. There are several instances of awkward word choice, such as 'the plans shows data' (should be 'show') and 'convert in take away' (should be 'converted into'). The student struggles to use precise terminology to describe the layout or the changes, which restricts the ability to convey information clearly. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to describing maps and plans, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'extended', and 'replaced'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('The plans shows'), missing articles ('in the left side'), and incorrect verb tenses ('cafe before redesign look like'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences are often marred by errors in syntax and punctuation. To improve, the student needs to focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that verbs agree with their subjects and that prepositions are used correctly when describing locations on a map.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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