Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The following maps illustrate a college cafe looks before and after it was renovated.

Overall, the cafe area after redesigned became increased with the inclusion of other facilities for public, compared to prior design.

At first, the cafe was consisted of kitchen with serving area for all kind of food and drinks, a separate dinning room for staff near to the kitchen area. Tables and chairs were placed in the centre of the cafe, whereas toilets and bin were in the corner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 82 words long. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. The description of the 'before' state is incomplete, and the 'after' state is entirely missing from the analysis. There is no attempt to compare the two plans or highlight the main features as requested. Because the response is significantly under-length and fails to cover the key information presented in the diagrams, it cannot reach a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is too short to demonstrate effective paragraphing or a logical progression of ideas. While there is a brief attempt at an introduction and an overview, the lack of a body paragraph describing the 'after' state means there is no overall structure. Cohesive devices are minimal, and the flow of information is interrupted by the premature ending of the text. To improve, you must ensure you have distinct paragraphs for the introduction, the overview, and the detailed comparisons.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Phrases such as 'after redesigned' and 'prior design' are grammatically incorrect or awkward. There is a lack of precise vocabulary related to describing changes, such as 'expanded,' 'relocated,' or 'transformed.' The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information clearly. You should focus on learning specific collocations for describing maps and changes, such as 'the area was extended' or 'the layout was modified.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors that hinder the clarity of the writing. Examples include 'the cafe looks before' (missing 'how'), 'after redesigned' (should be 'after being redesigned'), and 'was consisted of' (passive voice error). The sentence structures are simple and lack the complexity required for higher bands. The frequent errors in verb forms and sentence construction indicate a need for a stronger grasp of basic English grammar and sentence building.

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.