Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-11
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)
The plans illustrate a college cafe that how it looked before redesign and how it looks now.
Overall, the main structure of cafe is almost same. Outdoor sitting is add after the redesign. And name of places are replaced by each other.
Some features are same like kitchen is located in his previous place on the north-east corner if cafe. Also, toilets remain same on there actual place before and after on the west-south corner of cafe. The area of tables and chairs is untouched and constant in there old place.
Few of them are change now, serving area is replace by hot meals. Take away food and coffee bar are include in the place of staff dining rooms. Bin is rename and know it is called recycling bin.
When cafe was redesign some features were added. One of them is barbecue and outdoor sitting behind the cafe which is a perfect activity. Salad bar is also introduced in new cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the addition of the barbecue and outdoor seating, as well as the modifications to the serving and dining areas. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview. The description is somewhat fragmented, and the comparison between the two plans is basic. While the key changes are identified, the response would benefit from a more structured approach to grouping the information (e.g., permanent features vs. changed areas) to better highlight the transformation. The inclusion of subjective commentary, such as 'which is a perfect activity,' is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report, which requires an objective summary of the data provided.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the transition 'And name of places are replaced by each other' is confusing and lacks logical flow. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'Few of them are change now,' where the pronoun 'them' does not clearly refer back to a specific noun. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, and the connection between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to show contrast or addition more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'same,' 'place,' and 'change.' There are several instances of incorrect word choice and collocation, such as 'name of places are replaced by each other' (instead of 'labels have been changed') and 'Bin is rename' (instead of 'The bin has been renamed'). The student attempts to describe the layout, but the lack of precise terminology for spatial description (e.g., 'north-east corner') is hindered by grammatical errors. To improve, the student should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to maps and diagrams, such as 'relocated,' 'converted,' 'extended,' and 'demolished.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('main structure of cafe is,' 'toilets remain same'), article usage ('the' is frequently omitted), and verb tense consistency ('when cafe was redesign'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'The plans illustrate a college cafe that how it looked.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and sentence boundaries. A greater focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for tense consistency is necessary.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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