Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 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, outdoor seating and 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 was changed into a hot-meals. This provides quick, freshly cooked meals for students during busy lunch hours. In the center, two staff dining rooms were redesigned. One became a takeaway food area, allowing students to grab food and eat in their dorms. Another was converted into a coffee bar where youngsters can socialize and enjoy beverages with friends.

Several other alterations were implemented, including the conversion of the original bin into a recycling bin on the eastern side. Regarding the new additions,a new salad bar was opened in the west to cater to health-conscious students seeking nutritious meal options. Two new doors were positioned outside the cafe, providing access to the outdoor seating area. This allows students to conveniently enjoy outdoor seating and relax in fresh air. Furthermore, a barbecue was added to enhance the outdoor dining experience and encourage social gatherings among students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student has successfully addressed all parts of the task by providing a clear summary of the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign. Key alterations, such as the addition of the hot-meals area, salad bar, outdoor seating, and barbecue, are appropriately highlighted and contrasted with unchanged features like the kitchen and toilets. The overview paragraph effectively captures the most significant transformations. The information is accurately reported, fulfilling the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression from an introductory overview to body paragraphs detailing specific spatial changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate indoor modifications from outdoor additions. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the north-western area', and 'Furthermore' are employed to guide the reader through the maps. However, referencing and transitions could be slightly more fluid to reach the higher bands, placing this submission comfortably at Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes flexibly, using terms like 'restructured', 'alterations', 'conversion', and 'health-conscious'. There is successful implementation of less common lexical items related to architectural layout and social spaces. A few minor vocabulary slips occur, such as writing 'into a hot-meals' missing the noun 'area', but overall, the lexical resource is adequate for precise task reporting, earning a Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

A good mix of simple and complex sentence structures is utilized throughout the response, including participial phrases and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'allowing students to grab food and eat in their dorms'). Grammatical control is generally strong, with many error-free sentences. Minor slips, such as the missing noun in 'changed into a hot-meals', do not impede communication. The control of punctuation and syntax is consistent, reflecting a solid Band 7 performance.

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

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