Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-10

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 plans illustrate how a college cafe before it was renovated and the present state of the cafe.

Overall, several areas of the cafe like the staff dinning and serving area were demolished and the take away stand, coffee bar and hot meal stand were built to replace them. The barbecue area, salad bar and outdoor seating area were added to the cafe.

Before the cafe was renovated, the kitchen was located behind the serving area were all the food and drinks were served. The staff dinning room was located just next to the serving area by the right. The tables and chair were located at the middle of the cafe, and the toilet by the right hand corner of the cafe. The bin was located just before the toilet.

The cafe today looks more standard than how it looked before it was renovated. The kitchen remained that former position but the serving area was converted to the hot meals stand. The staff dinning room located just next to the hot meal stand was converted to take away food stand and a coffee bar. A salad bar was built j

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview of the changes, identifying the main features such as the removal of the staff dining area and the addition of new facilities like the salad bar. However, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence ('A salad bar was built j'). This prevents a full summary of the final layout. While the key features are identified, the lack of completion means the task is not fully addressed. To improve, ensure you complete the description of all areas shown in the 'after' plan and provide a more cohesive summary of the overall transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the 'before' to the 'after' state. There is a logical attempt to sequence the information. However, the abrupt ending significantly disrupts the coherence of the final paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Before the cafe was renovated' and 'The cafe today', but the overall flow is hampered by the incomplete nature of the text. To reach a higher band, ensure that all paragraphs are fully developed and that transitions between ideas are smooth and complete.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'renovated', 'demolished', and 'converted' appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'staff dinning' (should be 'dining') and 'more standard' (which is not the most precise way to describe a layout change). The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the variety and precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more descriptive verbs and precise nouns related to floor plans would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'how a college cafe before it was renovated' (missing a verb, e.g., 'looked'), 'staff dinning' (spelling), and 'remained that former position' (should be 'remained in its former position'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall accuracy. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, and ensure that all sentences are grammatically complete.

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

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