Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

THE TWO MAPS SHOW HOW CAFE LOOK BEFORE CONSTRUCTION AND AFTER REDEVLOP.

OVERALL, THERE ARE NO PHYSICALLY CAHNGES SHOW IN CAFE BUT THERE ARE LITTILE THING THAT'S CHANGED OR ADDED. MOSTLY THE USE OF ROOM CHANGED. AND SALAD BAR ADDED AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS CAFE OPEN BARBECUE AND OUTDOOR SEATING.

IN ORIGINAL CAFE BEFORE REDESIGN. THERE WAS TWO SECTIONS 1ST IS MAIN HALL. IN THE MAIN HALL THERE ARE TWO ROOMS FOR STAFF DINING. AND PERTICULAR AREA FOR BIN AND THE TOILETS IN NORTH EAST CORNER. HOWEVER, IN THE SECOND SECTION THERE WAS KITCHEN NORTH WEST OF CAFE. AND ALSO A SERVING AREA.

AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION THERE IS TWO SEPRATELY PARTS SHOWS IN STAFF DINING ROOMS.

ONE FOR TAKE AWAY FOOD AND SECOND FOR COFFEE BAR. ALSO BIN PART CHANGED TO RECYCLING BINS. ALSO THERE IS SALAD BAR AREA ADDED IN MAIN HALL IN THE WEST SIDE OF THE CAFE. THEY ALSO CHANGE SERVING AREA TO HOT MEALS. MAJOR CHANGE IS THEY OPEN

BARBECUE IN OUTER SOUTH SIDE OF CAFE WITH OUTDOOR SEATING.

FOLLOWING THE TWO MAPS THERE ARE NO CHANGES SHOW IN TOILETS AND KITCHEN.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the before and after plans of the college cafe, successfully highlighting key modifications such as the relocation of the serving area, the addition of a salad bar and recycling bins, and the introduction of an outdoor barbecue and seating area. The writer also notes features that remained unchanged, such as the toilets and kitchen. However, the tone is overly informal and the overview contains inaccuracies, such as the claim that there are no physical changes in the cafe. The reporting of data lacks precision in places, but overall the response satisfies the basic requirements of Academic Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is structured into short paragraphs, attempting to separate the introduction, overall summary, details of the original layout, details of the redesigned layout, and concluding remarks. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by poor cohesion and abrupt transitions. The use of linking words is limited and sometimes mechanical, as seen in the repetitive use of 'also' and 'however'. Referencing between sentences is occasionally unclear, which forces the reader to work harder to follow the comparison between the two floor plans.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, heavily relying on simple terms like 'room', 'area', 'changed', and 'added'. There are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'REDEVLOP', 'CAHNGES', 'LITTILE', 'PERTICULAR', 'SEPRATELY', and writing 'show' instead of 'shown'. The range of vocabulary is minimally adequate for the task, but lacks the precision, flexibility, and academic tone expected for higher band scores when describing architectural or spatial changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The essay displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and basic clause patterns. There are frequent and systematic errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation, such as 'THE TWO MAPS SHOW HOW CAFE LOOK' and fragment sentences like 'AND ALSO A SERVING AREA.' Sentences containing attempts at greater complexity often break down grammatically. These errors are frequent and can cause occasional difficulty or distraction for the reader.

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

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