Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12

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 8.0)

The diagrams illustrate the changes that have been made to the layout of a cafeteria from its original design to its present-day arrangement.

Overall, the cafeteria has undergone a number of significant changes, most notably the conversion of the serving area into a hot-meals section, the replacement of the staff dining rooms with customer facilities, and the extension of the premises to accommodate a barbecue area and outdoor seating. Despite these alterations, the overall structure of the cafeteria has remained broadly similar.

In the original layout, the serving area occupied the central part of the cafeteria, with staff dining rooms located on either side. In the redesigned cafeteria, the former serving area has been replaced by a hot-meals section, which provides access to a salad bar. The two staff dining rooms have also been repurposed. One has been converted into a takeaway area, where food is packaged for customers, while the other has been transformed into a coffee bar serving coffee, sweets and bakery products.

Further changes can be seen in the addition of a dedicated waste-disposal area. The cafeteria has also been extended to the right to create a barbecue section. This area is directly accessible from the salad bar and incorporates an outdoor seating area furnished with several dining tables, providing customers with an additional place to eat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by successfully summarizing the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign. The overview paragraph is particularly strong, capturing the most significant changes such as the conversion of the serving area, the repurposing of staff dining rooms, and the outdoor extension. Key details such as the hot-meals section, salad bar, takeaway area, coffee bar, and barbecue section are all accurately reported and compared against the original layout. There are no notable omissions, and the information is well-supported by the visual data provided. Overall, the task is handled with a high degree of precision, meeting all descriptors for a top band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The report exhibits a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is grouped sensibly, starting with a general introduction and comprehensive overview, followed by a detailed paragraph contrasting the central areas, and concluding with the recent additions like the waste-disposal and barbecue sections. Cohesive devices such as 'In the original layout', 'In the redesigned cafeteria', and 'Further changes can be seen' are used naturally and flexibly to guide the reader through the spatial transformations. Paragraphing is managed skilfully, with each paragraph serving a distinct and logical function in presenting the comparative analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task describing spatial changes. Less common lexical items and collocations are used skillfully, such as 'undergone a number of significant changes', 'repurposed', 'transformed', and 'dedicated waste-disposal area'. Word choice is generally precise, allowing the writer to convey specific spatial relationships and functional shifts clearly. There are only occasional minor inaccuracies, but these do not impede communication in any way and reflect natural language use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response features a wide range of complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and relative clauses, such as 'furnishing with several dining tables, providing customers with an additional place to eat.' The majority of sentences are error-free, demonstrating excellent control over grammar and punctuation. There is a strong mix of passive and active voice structures appropriate for describing changes to a physical environment ('has been replaced', 'occupied the central part'). Only very occasional minor slips occur, which do not disrupt the flow or readability of the text.

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