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 given plans illustrate the changes made to a college cafe following its redesign, comparing its previous layout with current arrangements.

Overall, the cafe went through significant changes, with several new facilities and some areas are relocated or repurposed. The most notable new amenities are outdoor seating area, salad bar, recycling bins, coffee bar and take away food setup.

Previously, the kitchen was present at upper-left corner with a food and drinks serving area in its front. A staff dining area was present in the center. The main seating area, containing tables and chairs, occupied most of the remaining space. Toilets were present in the bottom-right corner, with bins in front of it.

Following the redesign, the kitchen remains in the upper-left corner, although the serving area is replaced by the hot meals counter. The former staff dining rooms have been removed and replaced by a takeaway food counter and a coffee bar. A salad bar is added at the left wall of cafe. Toilets are at the same place and the bins in its front are replaced by recycling bins. Finally, the cafe provides with new outdoor seating along the lower premises, with new bathrooms.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively covers the requirements of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the changes and successfully highlighted the main features, such as the addition of the coffee bar and outdoor seating. The comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states is logical and easy to follow. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are precise; for instance, you mentioned 'new bathrooms' in your summary, but the plan indicates the toilets remained in the same location, with only the entrance/layout potentially adjusted. Overall, the information is well-selected and reported accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a logical progression. You have used cohesive devices such as 'Previously', 'Following the redesign', and 'Finally' to guide the reader through the changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the initial state from the current state. The flow of information is smooth, and the relationship between the different areas of the cafe is clearly established. The structure is coherent throughout, making the report easy to read and understand.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'repurposed', 'amenities', and 'premises'. The language is generally precise and appropriate for an academic report. There are a few minor issues with word choice, such as 'provides with' (which should be 'provides') and 'at the left wall' (which should be 'on the left wall'). However, these errors do not impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'replaced' or 'added' to enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the majority of sentences are clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'some areas are relocated' (should be 'some areas have been relocated') and 'at upper-left corner' (missing an article). Additionally, 'the cafe provides with new outdoor seating' is grammatically incorrect. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the text. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would help in achieving a higher band score for this criterion.

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