Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-09
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 6.0)
The given pictures of a college cafe shows us the renovation of it. The changings that occur within the redesigning of the cafe, addition of new counters and the sitting plan also been redesigned.
As it is seen the original size of the cafe is the same except the addition in sitting plan but the interior size of the cafe stays the same. Firstly, kitchen area has upgraded the food counter. Before all the food and drink items were displayed in the same counter but after the redesigning, only hot meals are being presented within the kitchen area. The staff dining rooms haven been removed and take away food and coffee bar has taken the place.
Nearby kitchen area a salad bar is introduced and the toilets are on same location. Another upgradation occured in waste area,back then it was only the waste bin but now it has the recycling bin where recycleable materials are kept separate from the other waste materials.
However, sitting plan is the same inside the cafe but an outdoor sitting is introduced and food can be enjoyed outside of the cafe too. This was the before and after of a redesigned college cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the kitchen modifications, the addition of the salad bar, and the new outdoor seating. However, the overview is weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes, such as the overall expansion of seating capacity or the shift in layout efficiency. While the main points are addressed, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band. The mention of 'the original size of the cafe is the same' is slightly inaccurate as the outdoor area represents a clear expansion of the facility's footprint.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is occasionally mechanical. Transitions like 'Firstly' and 'However' are used, but the internal structure of the paragraphs is somewhat disjointed. For instance, the transition between the kitchen area and the waste area feels abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is adequate but lacks the flexibility and sophistication expected at higher levels. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the opening sentence where the subject of the 'renovation' is not clearly linked to the provided visual information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision. There are several non-standard word choices, such as 'changings' (should be 'changes'), 'upgradation' (not standard English; 'upgrade' or 'renovation' is preferred), and 'sitting plan' (should be 'seating arrangement'). While the student successfully communicates the changes, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the reliance on basic descriptors prevents a higher score. The use of 'back then' is too informal for an Academic Task 1 report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'The given pictures... shows us' (subject-verb agreement error), 'sitting plan also been redesigned' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'staff dining rooms haven been removed' (spelling/typo). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors—particularly with articles and verb forms—prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to sentence construction and proofreading is necessary.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.