Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The college's cafeteria is redesigned and many enhancements are found here. Firstly, in the kitchen area, the previously known serving area is now transformed into Hot meals section. The Staff dining rooms are now the Take away food and Coffee Bar in same occupancies. The main indoor sitting area is amlost unchanged for tables and chairs. An addition of Salad Bar next to the left wall is noticeable. The toilet area and the spot for bins are same, but bins now come up with recycling option, which recycles most of the waste now. In the outdoor section, the Barbecue spot is introduced along with the left side of cafe. And besides the barbecue spot, the all new Outdoor seating is introduced with three full sized dining tables and two mid sized tables. That's a very enhanced and a new look of College's Cafe with noticeable changes and much organized look.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all major features of the two plans, making relevant comparisons between the layout before and after the redesign. You correctly identify the conversion of staff dining rooms into a takeaway and coffee bar, the addition of a salad bar, and the introduction of outdoor seating and a barbecue spot. However, the overview lacks a clear overarching summary of the most significant changes, and some descriptions are slightly informal or localized. For a higher band, the information could be synthesized more fluidly to present a clearer global picture of the transformation, avoiding isolated details.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text follows a logical progression, moving generally from the interior kitchen and dining areas out to the outdoor sections. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'now', 'An addition of', and 'In the outdoor section' are used to guide the reader through the spatial changes. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped; the entire response is presented as a single dense block of text rather than distinct paragraphs for indoor and outdoor features. Additionally, the final sentence reads more like an informal concluding remark than a structured summary statement. Improving paragraph division and varying cohesive devices would elevate this score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary suited to describing spatial changes, incorporating terms such as 'transformed', 'enhancements', 'occupancies', and 'redesigned'. There are some awkward collocations and minor lexical inaccuracies, such as 'in same occupancies' instead of 'in the same space' or 'area', and 'amlost' which is a spelling error for 'almost'. You attempt less common vocabulary items like 'recycling option' and 'barbecue spot', but overall, word choice is occasionally simplistic or unconventional ('come up with', 'all new'). To achieve a higher band, focus on precision and natural collocation when describing architectural or layout modifications.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as passive forms ('is redesigned', 'is now transformed') and prepositional phrases for location. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including 'the previously known serving area is now transformed into Hot meals section' (missing article), 'amlost unchanged for tables and chairs', and 'along with the left side of cafe' (preposition misuse). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and the meaning remains clear despite these slips. To reach Band 7, you need a greater frequency of error-free complex sentences and more precise control over articles and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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