Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The provided maps illustrate a college cafe it was reconstructed and how it looks presently.
Overall, it is immediately apparent that college cafe underwent a dramatic transformation from a predominantely quiet cafe setting into a more modern cafe. Furthermore, this redevelopment was characterised by the substantial expension of take away food and coffee bar at the expense of outdoor seating.
To begin with, where was serving area with all food and drink, now it has been converted into hot meals. Staff dining room has been replaced by two room first is take away food second is coffe bar. Right side of cafe bin has been replaced into recycling bins. Left side of cafe, salad bar has been built.
Turning to the next details, outside of cafe opened new facilities. Furthermore, barbecue has been constructed and made outdoor seating there are numerous chairs and tables have been built for the people and it solved seating problem.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign, and it attempts to make relevant comparisons. In the introduction, the writer attempts to state an overview, noting the transformation from a quiet setting into a modern one with a substantial expansion of take-away options. However, some specific details of the map are described inaccurately or unclearly, such as stating that the serving area 'has been converted into hot meals' rather than describing the reorganization of specific counters. The ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed, resulting in a performance that meets the criteria for Band 5.5, rounded to 5.0 for limited development or 6.0 for covering all parts; here, it fits best at Band 5.5 as some features are described vaguely or awkwardly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific changes. Cohesive devices are attempted, such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', and 'Turning to the next details', but their use is sometimes mechanical or imprecise. Paragraphing is utilized, yet the logical progression between sentences occasionally falters, making it difficult to follow the spatial layout of the cafe as shown in the visual prompt. Referencing is also unclear in places, such as 'where was serving area with all food and drink, now it has been converted into hot meals'. These issues place the response firmly in the Band 5 to 6 range, aligning best with Band 5.5 due to faults in cohesion and referencing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range used is adequate for the task, with attempts to use less common vocabulary items such as 'reconstructed', 'transformation', 'predominantely' (misspelled), and 'substantial expansion'. However, there are notable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'expension' instead of 'expansion', 'coffe bar' instead of 'coffee bar', and awkward phrasings like 'outside of cafe opened new facilities'. While these vocabulary errors and typos do not completely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score. The range is minimally adequate, fitting the descriptors for Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response displays a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, but grammatical accuracy is weak. There are frequent errors in sentence structure, article use, and prepositional phrasing, such as 'illustrate a college cafe it was reconstructed', 'where was serving area', and 'numerous chairs and tables have been built for the people and it solved seating problem.' Furthermore, spelling and punctuation lapses are present. The majority of sentences contain errors, which places the grammar score at Band 5.0, where frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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