Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The map illustrates the development of college cafe before the redesign and its appearance today.

The entrance to the cafe before the redesign was in the top right corner. After entering the cafe there was a bin on the left and toilets were situated in the bottom-right of the cafe. There were two staff dining rooms in the upper middle while there were tables and chairs in front of the staff dining rooms. The kitchen and serving area were at the left top of the building.

Today, the cafe has considerably changed its appearance. Entrance is at the same place and bins have been updated into recycling bins. Toilets and the area of tables and chairs remained the same. Additionally, staff dining rooms have been converted into take away food and coffee bar. A salad bar is added at the left side of the hall. The kitchen is unchanged but serving area is changed to hot meals. Furthermore, a distinct modification has been done by adding outdoor seating at the bottom of the building with a barbecue at the left.

Overall, the cafe is now more multifunctional, with a wider range of food and seating options.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, including the conversion of the staff rooms and the addition of the outdoor seating area. You provided a clear overview of the changes, which is essential for a high score. To improve, ensure you make more explicit comparisons between the two plans rather than just describing them sequentially. For instance, instead of saying the kitchen is unchanged, you could highlight how the flow of the cafe has been improved by the new layout. The inclusion of specific details like the salad bar and the barbecue shows good attention to the visual data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs describing the 'before' and 'after' states, and a concise summary. You use cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'Overall' to guide the reader through the information. However, the transition between the description of the original layout and the new one could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. To reach a higher band, try to vary your cohesive devices further and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'the same place') is always precise to avoid any ambiguity.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'converted', 'redesign', and 'multifunctional'. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'left top of the building' (better: 'top left corner') and 'bins have been updated into' (better: 'replaced by'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Incorporating more precise descriptive language regarding spatial relationships and architectural changes would elevate your score. Overall, the vocabulary is clear and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'The map illustrates the development of college cafe' (missing an article: 'the college cafe') and 'serving area is changed to hot meals' (better: 'the serving area has been converted into a hot meals counter'). While these errors are present, they do not impede the reader's understanding of the information. To improve, focus on article usage and ensuring consistent verb tenses when describing past and present states. Your control of punctuation is generally good, and the sentence structure is varied enough to maintain interest.

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

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