Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15
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 plan compares the changes that have taken place in a college cafe before redesigned and present day.
Overall, college cafe has undergone significant changes, with several facilities being added or replaced, as salad bar, barbecue section and outdoor seating was introduced, while hot meals, take away food, coffee bar and recycling bins being replaced.
Firstly, kitchen and serving area including all food and drink was located at north direction, which was replaced by hot meals, while staff dining rooms were at centre, followed by, the bin has been replaced by recycling bin.
Secondly, Two main features were added after redesign of cafe, as barbecue section was added along with adding outdoor seating for students. Moreover, salad bar was also introduced, so that students can maintain a proper healthy diet to improve their well being.
As a result, the cafe has become more developed and better equipped, providing a more convenient and pleasant environment for students.
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 student covers the main features of the two plans, noting key transformations such as the addition of the outdoor seating, barbecue area, and salad bar, alongside modifications to the kitchen and dining facilities. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the spatial details and specific changes (for instance, stating that hot meals, take-away food, and coffee bars replaced previous features incorrectly or confusingly). The overview is attempted in the second paragraph, but it contains minor awkwardness. The response satisfies the general requirements of summarising visual data, but lacks precision in several comparative details, placing it at a Band 6.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into an introduction, an overview, body paragraphs detailing specific changes, and a concluding remark. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'Firstly,' 'Secondly,' and 'Moreover.' However, the logical progression is at times somewhat mechanical and awkward, such as the transition 'followed by, the bin has been replaced...'. Paragraphing is present and generally appropriate for the task structure, but referencing and sentence-to-sentence linking can be clumsy, placing this criterion at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common collocations like 'significant changes', 'proper healthy diet', and 'well being'. However, there are noticeable word choice and preposition errors, such as 'before redesigned' instead of 'before being redesigned' and 'at north direction' instead of 'in the northern section'. Repetition of basic verbs like 'replace' and 'add' is evident throughout the text. These lexical limitations and minor errors support a Band 6.0 score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
A mix of simple and complex sentence structures is attempted, such as relative clauses and passive constructions ('which was replaced by hot meals', 'while staff dining rooms were at centre'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including missing articles ('as salad bar', 'along with adding outdoor seating') and incorrect verb forms ('before redesigned'). While these errors do not severely impede overall communication, they reduce the proportion of error-free sentences, making Band 6.0 an accurate reflection of grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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