Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14
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 illustrated diagram depicts the information about before and after design of a cafe after renovations.
The depicted diagram shows that the old cafe had a kitchen on the North side of old cafe which is same in new cafe design and the opposite side of the kitchen there was serving area in which all food and drinks were served. However, serving area is replaced by hot meals, there were staff dining rooms in old cafe which are replaced by take away food and coffee bar. On the left side there was a bin now it is replaced by recycling bins. In middle of the cafe tables and chairs were arranged, which are still present in new cafe. Toilets are same in both designs and salad bar is added in new design.
The overall cafe is redesigned, some parts are same and some are recreated. Outside new barbecue area is designed along with the outdoor seating.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the before and after plans of the college cafe, noting key transformations such as the replacement of the serving area with hot meals and the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, and a barbecue area. However, the summary lacks a clear overview paragraph highlighting the most striking general trends, which is essential for a Band 7. Furthermore, some details are slightly inaccurate or confusingly expressed, such as stating that the kitchen is on the 'North side of old cafe which is same in new cafe design' when the layout underwent several shifts. Consequently, the task is addressed only partially or with limited development, leading to a Band 5.5 score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text demonstrates some overall organisation, but the paragraphing is very poor, consisting essentially of one introductory sentence followed by one massive, run-on paragraph, and a brief concluding sentence. This creates a wall of text where ideas are clumped together without sufficient breathing room. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and repetitively (e.g., 'which are replaced by', 'now it is replaced by'), and referencing is sometimes confusing, impeding a smooth logical progression. While there is a discernible sequence describing the layout changes, the lack of appropriate paragraphing and flexible cohesion keeps the response at a Band 5.0 level.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic description of the visual data, featuring terms like 'diagram', 'renovations', 'recycling bins', and 'barbecue area'. However, the range is quite limited and repetitive, with the student relying heavily on basic verbs like 'replaced' and 'shows'. There are noticeable lexical awkwardnesses and word-choice errors, such as 'before and after design of a cafe after renovations' (which is slightly redundant) and 'On the left side there was a bin now it is replaced'. These limitations and errors restrict the lexical score to a solid Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many complex constructions contain grammatical errors, missing articles, or run-on tendencies. For example, sentences like 'The depicted diagram shows that the old cafe had a kitchen on the North side of old cafe which is same in new cafe design and the opposite side of the kitchen there was serving area...' lack proper punctuation and conjunctions, creating comma splices and ungrammatical clauses. Frequent errors in article usage and prepositional phrases cause some difficulty for the reader, placing this response firmly in the Band 5.0 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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