Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13
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 two diagram compares a before and after of a college cafe renovation.
Overall, the redesigned cafe has been drastically changed with inclusion of several diiferent new spaces and an outdoor seating area. Whereas cafe before the renovations was confined to indoor area only with special staff dining rooms.
The cafe before renovations has a single kitchen which was also served as a serving area in the top left. The staff dining rooms were located in the center with round tables and a central seating area was located in the center hall. Furthermore, it has toilets and a single bin in the lower right of the room beside the entrance and exit gates.
The redesigned cafe replaced the staff dining rooms with a take away food counter and a coffee bar while, kitchen has a new counter for hot meals. In addition, a proper outdoor seating area constructed with seperated entrance gates and a barbecue shelf in the left side. while bin was replaced by recycling bins, toilets were on the same side. A saald bar was also made beside the kitchen in an indoor seating area.
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 addresses the prompt by summarising the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign, making relevant comparisons throughout. The overview paragraph effectively highlights the most significant changes, such as the addition of new spaces and an outdoor seating area. Key details from the maps, including the relocation of the kitchen, the introduction of a coffee bar and take-away counter, and the new outdoor seating layout, are accurately reported. Although some finer details could have been elaborated further, all parts of the task are well covered, and a clear comparative structure is maintained.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical sequence, moving from an introductory overview to specific descriptions of the original layout and the subsequent changes. Paragraphing is utilised appropriately to separate different aspects of the visual data. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or slightly faulty, with occasional awkward transitions, such as starting paragraphs with abrupt phrasing like 'The cafe before renovations has...'. Reference words and cohesive devices are generally adequate, but greater flexibility and smoother linking would be required for a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to architectural features and facility changes, such as 'renovation', 'confined', 'relocated', and 'recycling bins'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('diiferent', 'saald') and minor word choice or collocation inaccuracies, such as 'barbecue shelf' instead of a barbecue area or grill. Despite these lapses, the lexical range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without severely impeding communication, placing the response firmly in the competent range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly concerning article usage and subject-verb agreement, such as 'The two diagram compares' and 'Whereas cafe before the renovations was confined'. Other errors include awkward phrasing like 'kitchen which was also served as'. While these mistakes do not impede overall communication, they represent a recurring pattern of minor inaccuracies that prevents the grammar score from reaching the higher bands.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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