Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

There is a plans show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now. Before redesign is post on the top, and the after redesign is on the bottom. Inside the cafe, there was many changes, it can clearly to see designer had added new area for outdoor seating where can seat for 26 peoples and, it also with a barbecue places. Inside the cafe, only toilets keeps original, besides the bin was design for recycling trash, which important with environment. The staff dining rooms redesign more efficiency, one turns to take away food room, another turn to coffee bar, th e mainly change area was kitchen, the serving area used to be delivery all food and drink, at now it only serving for hot meals. By the way, salad bar was an extra new area in front the kitchen, where close to outdoor sealing area. For the hall of cafe, there still placed with tables and chairs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The student attempts to summarize the changes shown in the college cafe plans, noting several key features such as the new outdoor seating area for 26 people, the barbecue place, and modifications to the kitchen and staff dining rooms. However, the response fails to provide a comprehensive overview or a clear, structured comparison of the before and after states. Important spatial relationships are unclear, and the writing is heavily restricted in scope, relying on fragmented observations rather than a well-synthesized report. There is no clear introduction or overview paragraph, which is essential for Academic Task 1. Consequently, this performance aligns best with the Band 4 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response is presented as a single, dense block of text with no paragraphing whatsoever, severely hindering the overall organization. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly, leading to a disjointed reading experience. For instance, phrases like 'By the way' are overly informal and inappropriate for an Academic task. Referencing is frequently unclear, such as 'one turns to take away food room, another turn to coffee bar', making it difficult to follow which part of the cafe is being discussed. Progression is virtually absent as ideas jump erratically between different parts of the plans. This reflects the characteristics of Band 4.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, frequently impeded by awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'peoples', 'bin was design', and 'outdoor sealing area'. There are frequent errors in word formation and collocation ('delivery all food', 'mainly change area'). While the student attempts to use some task-specific vocabulary related to the plans, the lack of control and precision means that meaning is often strained or obscured. The lexical range is limited and inadequate for a standard academic response, fitting comfortably within the Band 4 criteria.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

Grammatical control is weak throughout the response, featuring frequent fundamental errors. Examples include basic subject-verb agreement and structure failures such as 'There is a plans show', 'Before redesign is post on the top', and 'it can clearly to see designer had added'. Simple sentences are poorly constructed, and attempts at more complex structures almost invariably result in severe errors and ungrammatical fragments like 'where can seat for 26 peoples and, it also with a barbecue places'. Punctuation is also misused. These pervasive errors frequently cause strain for the reader, matching the Band 4 profile.

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

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