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 picturial diagram compares a college café's old form with its new looks after the redesign.
Overall, the café was spacious with a kitchen toilets, tables and chairs in the inside which remaind present even after the redevolement. However, a lot was changed, added or improved.
Entering the café from the east side ,what was a simple bin to the left became a recycling bin. Staff dining rooms were switched into two separate rooms, a coffee bar and take away foods. The serving area that once included all foods and drinks was changed to a hot meals spot only. A salad bar was also added to the plan on the far west near the entrance .
The outside area, that once was an empty space, has also been exploited. For instance, outdoor seating were occupying most of it and a barbecue became present to the left just near the south entrance.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response successfully addresses the task by summarising the main features of the college café before and after its redesign, making relevant comparisons throughout. Key changes are identified, such as the transformation of staff dining rooms into a coffee bar and take-away food section, the introduction of a salad bar, and the development of the outdoor area with seating and a barbecue. Although the overview is slightly basic, the main trends and alterations are adequately reported. The response meets all the requirements of an Academic Task 1 summary, providing a clear overall picture of the spatial modifications. Therefore, a band score of 6.0 is appropriate as it covers all parts of the task adequately with relevant supporting details.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from an introductory overview to specific spatial details regarding indoor and outdoor changes. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, overall summary, indoor modifications, and outdoor additions. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'However', 'For instance', and 'Entering the café from the east side', though some referencing and transitions feel slightly mechanical. For example, the sentence structure linking the indoor features could be smoother. Overall, the organization is clear and easy to follow, supporting a band score of 6.0 under coherence and cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to architectural changes and spatial layout, such as 'redesigned', 'redevelopment', 'recycling bin', and 'barbecue'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'picturial diagram' instead of 'pictorial diagram' or 'illustration', 'new looks' instead of 'new layout' or 'appearance', and 'outdoor seating were occupying' where subject-verb agreement or phrasing could be refined. Despite these errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication, meriting a band score of 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'what was a simple bin to the left became a recycling bin'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and punctuation lapses throughout the text. Examples include spelling and morphological errors like 'remaind' instead of 'remained', 'redevolement' instead of 'redevelopment', a missing comma after 'east side', and subject-verb disagreement in 'outdoor seating were occupying'. While these errors occur regularly, they rarely impede overall communication. The grammatical control reflects a standard consistent with band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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