Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given map graphs illustrate the information about how the college cafe was before redesigning and the variations which has taken place in a college cafe after getting redesigned.

To commence with, there was a serving area located in North-western side of the cafe, which is has been replaced with a hot meals area. A salad bar has been developed in the western side. By demolishing staff dining rooms, a coffee bar and take away food area has been built. The bin located in the East direction is now transformed into a recycling bin.

Moving further, a barbeque area is manufactured outside the cafeteria in the south-west corner. An outdoor sitting area has been developed in south direction with total five sittings.

Overall, it can be clearly noticed that college cafe has undergone various transformations. The main key changes which has taken place are development of outdoor seating and the barbecue area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of the college cafe before and after the redesign and making relevant comparisons. You identify key alterations, such as the replacement of the serving area with a hot meals area, the introduction of a salad bar, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue area. While the overview at the end correctly highlights the primary changes, some descriptions could be slightly more integrated to compare the spatial shifts more dynamically. However, all major visual data points are adequately captured, and the overall selection of features is accurate and relevant to the prompts. This performance aligns comfortably with the band 6.5 to 7.0 criteria, and a score of 6.5 is awarded.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

Your text is structured with a clear introductory paragraph, body paragraphs detailing different areas of the cafe, and a concluding summary. You use cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Moving further', and 'Overall' to signal transitions between ideas. However, some of the referencing and transitional phrasing feels slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more smoothly organized around zones rather than individual items. Pronoun referencing is generally clear, but occasional minor awkwardness in cohesion prevents the response from reaching higher bands. Overall, the logical progression is apparent throughout the writing, securing a solid band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'demolishing', 'transformations', 'recycling bin', and 'barbeque area'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'map graphs' (the visual is a plan/diagram, not a graph) and 'manufactured outside' (where 'installed' or 'built' would be more natural). Additionally, 'total five sittings' is unnatural phrasing for seating capacity. While you attempt less common vocabulary, these slight lexical slips place your performance within the band 6 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. For instance, you successfully use relative clauses and participial phrases such as 'By demolishing staff dining rooms, a coffee bar... has been built'. Nevertheless, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward verb tense choices, such as 'which is has been replaced' (error in auxiliary verbs) and 'key changes which has taken place are' (subject-verb agreement error with 'changes'). These errors do not impede overall communication, but their frequency prevents a higher grade, making a band 6.0 appropriate.

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

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