Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The two maps illustrate the layout of a college cafe before and after it was restructured. Overall, the cafe underwent major changes, including the addition of a hot-meals area, an additional outdoor seating arrangement and introducing a salad bar. However, some areas such as the kitchen and toilets remained unchanged.

In the north-western area, the kitchen remained unchanged, while the serving area of all food and drinks was transformed into a hot-meals section. In the center, two staff dining rooms were converted into two different sections: one became a takeaway food area and another was turned into a coffee bar.

Several other changes were also made to the cafe. On the eastern side, the original bin was replaced by a recycling bin. Regarding the new amenities, a new salad bar was opened in the west and outside the cafe two new doors were added, providing access to the outdoor seating area. Furthermore, a barbeque was introduced outside.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student provides a clear and well-structured overview of the main changes shown in the two maps of the college cafe, satisfying all requirements of Academic Task 1. The response successfully highlights key alterations, such as the introduction of a hot-meals area, a salad bar, a takeaway food area, and a coffee bar, alongside areas that remained unchanged, like the kitchen and toilets. Relevant comparisons and spatial details are effectively reported, for instance mentioning the transformation of the central staff dining rooms and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbeque. The information is accurately conveyed without irrelevant details, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptor for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear and logical organisation from the introductory summary of overall changes to specific descriptions of the north-western, central, and eastern areas. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the redesign. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, as seen with transition markers like 'Overall', 'However', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader smoothly through the spatial changes. The progression of information is coherent and easy to follow throughout, meeting the criteria for a solid Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student exhibits an adequate and generally precise range of vocabulary suitable for describing spatial transformations and architectural plans. Phrases such as 'layout', 'restructured', 'transformed into', and 'original bin was replaced' show good control of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is largely functional and effective rather than exceptionally sophisticated, it successfully conveys the intended meaning with only occasional straightforward choices. Spelling and word choice are accurate throughout, supporting a comfortable reading experience consistent with a Band 6.5 or 7.0, comfortably earning a 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and prepositional phrases effectively (e.g., 'while the serving area of all food and drinks was transformed into a hot-meals section' and 'providing access to the outdoor seating area'). Grammatical accuracy is high, with the majority of sentences being error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly. Control over verb tenses is well-maintained to describe past alterations relative to the current layout. These qualities reflect strong grammatical control that aligns closely with a Band 7 score.

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