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 following diagram illustrates a comparison between a college cafe before redesign and after redesign. There is a huge difference between the two plans. Cafe before redesign was only have indoor seating but new cafe also had outdoor seating so that customers can enjoy their good with outside view. Before redesigning the cafe, dine-in was the only option but aftet redesigning there is an option of takeaway, useful for people who wants to take their food home. Bin is replaced by recycling bin, which is a very good initiative to conserve the environment. Menu is revised now, as variety of options available in the new plan, such as barbeque, salads and coffee. One of the major change is serving points of food, old plan had all the serving options in one place, but new plan has separate options. Hot meals are available in the kitchen, whereas salad bars, barbeque options and coffee bar is present separately. New plan definitely the most refined plan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by comparing the two plans of the college cafe. While several key features are noted, such as the addition of outdoor seating, a takeaway option, a recycling bin, and revised serving points, the response lacks a proper overview and features numerous mechanical and descriptive gaps. For instance, the writer states that the 'Cafe before redesign was only have indoor seating', missing out on specific structural changes and failing to synthesise the data effectively. Ideas are presented in a somewhat disjointed manner rather than being fully extended and supported, placing the response firmly at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text suffers from poor overall organisation and a lack of proper paragraphing, as the entire response is written as a single block of text. There is no clear overall progression; instead, the writer jumps arbitrarily from seating to takeaways, bins, menus, and serving counters. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes misused, such as 'aftet redesigning' and 'New plan definitely the most refined plan.' Referencing is also occasionally unclear or missing articles, which disrupts the flow of information. This level of cohesion and paragraphing aligns with a Band 4.5 or rounded to 5.0 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and repetitive. The writer frequently reuses basic terms like 'redesign', 'cafe', and 'plan' without varying vocabulary appropriately. There are also noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'enjoy their good with outside view' instead of 'food' and 'view', and spelling mistakes like 'aftet'. While some less common vocabulary is attempted—such as 'initiative', 'conserve', and 'revised'—the frequent inaccuracies in form and collocation cause some difficulty for the reader, placing the lexicon at a Band 5.0 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The grammatical range is quite restricted, relying mostly on simple or faulty complex structures. There are numerous basic grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('Cafe before redesign was only have', 'Bin is replaced'), incorrect verb forms ('was only have', 'people who wants'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is also weak, with run-on constructions like 'Menu is revised now, as variety of options available in the new plan, such as barbeque, salads and coffee.' Frequent errors across simple and complex sentences mean the performance matches the Band 5.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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