Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The given maps illustrate the college cafe redesign, how it looks before and now.
Overall, it can be seen that the cafe has introduced the outdoor seating with barbecue. The several things like salad bar and coffee bar are included. The tables and chairs are same in center, and toilets are remain same on their place in south-east corner of cafe.
At first, it can be seen that the kitchen area remain same but the serving are in past used for all foods and drinks, will be now use for hot meals. Before redesign, cafe has two staff dining rooms but after, it both are converted to take away food and coffee bar. In main area the bin is replaced and new recycle bin has been installed.
Furthermore, the outdoor seating area is newley introduced with barbecue. The new salad bar room is also introduced in new design. The toilets position remain same in both designs. The new cafe design covers the large area and looks too expanded.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The candidate provides an overview of the main changes in the college cafe, noting key features such as the introduction of outdoor seating, a barbecue, a salad bar, and the conversion of staff dining rooms. However, the response lacks a fully developed comparison of all details shown in the source plans. While the general transformation is described, some observations are superficial or imprecise, such as stating that 'tables and chairs are same in center' without elaborating on their reconfiguration. The overview is somewhat basic but covers the key developments, which aligns with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure all significant spatial changes and reallocations of space are compared more thoroughly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, providing a basic overall structure. However, logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions and repetitive sentence openers such as 'At first, it can be seen that' and 'Furthermore, the outdoor seating area is newley introduced'. Cohesive devices are handled rather mechanically, and referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'after, it both are converted'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal flow within paragraphs lacks seamless transitions. These characteristics are representative of Band 5.0, where organization is present but lacks clear overall progression and accurate cohesive device usage.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, relying on functional terms such as 'cafe', 'tables', 'chairs', 'kitchen area', and 'toilets'. There are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, including phrases like 'the cafe has introduced the outdoor seating with barbecue' and 'newley introduced'. The spelling error 'newley' also detracts from the quality of the lexical range. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic message of the visual data, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands. This places the response firmly at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and predictable passive constructions. When the student attempts more complex phrasing, frequent grammatical errors occur, such as 'the cafe redesign, how it looks before and now', 'the several things like salad bar and coffee bar are included', and 'the kitchen area remain same'. Subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'toilets are remain same') and tense inconsistencies are prevalent throughout the text. These frequent errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader and reflect the characteristics of Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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