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)

In this design, we compare the college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

This show the design of the college cafe before and after it redesigned. Several changes were made and some remains the same.

1st change was made in the south of the kichen where the serving area (all food & drink) changes to hot meals. The kichen remains the same. The staff dining rooms were also redesigned to two rooms, take away food and coffee bar. The bin area which was north to toilet, upgrated to recycling bins. The salad bar was also added to the tables and chair area.

Two door were connected to tables and chairs area which leads to the new expansion of barbecue in cafe. There were 2 tables for four persons and 3 tables for six persons. The total seating in the barbecue area was made for 26 peoples.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the serving area, staff rooms, and the new barbecue expansion. However, the overview is weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes, such as the overall expansion of the facility. The description of the barbecue area is quite detailed, but the report lacks a cohesive structure to compare the 'before' and 'after' states effectively. Some information is presented in a list-like fashion rather than as a synthesized report. To improve, ensure you provide a clear overview in the introduction and group related features logically to highlight the transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into short paragraphs, but the logical flow is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is minimal and occasionally mechanical (e.g., '1st change was made'). The transition between the description of the interior changes and the new barbecue area is abrupt. Paragraphing is present but does not effectively separate the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. To improve, use a wider range of linking words such as 'furthermore', 'in contrast', or 'subsequently' to guide the reader through the changes and ensure each paragraph has a clear thematic focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'kichen' (kitchen) and 'upgrated' (upgraded). The phrasing is often repetitive, relying on simple verbs like 'made' or 'changes'. While the student successfully identifies specific areas like 'salad bar' and 'recycling bins', the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise verbs to describe spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'replaced', and ensure accurate spelling of key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'This show' instead of 'This shows', 'before it redesigned' instead of 'before it was redesigned', and 'Two door were connected' instead of 'Two doors were connected'. Subject-verb agreement and passive voice construction need significant attention. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors hinder the fluency of the writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for pluralization and verb tense consistency would greatly improve the score.

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