Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The two plans illustrate show that the college Cafes before it was redesigned and after design how it looks now.
The first map of the college cafes before it redesign. The college cafes have two gate enter and out. The left side on the door there was a Bin and Toilets. The front side on the door there was two staff dining rooms each room contain seven chairs and one table.
The other side of the dining room there was a kitchen and in front side there was a serving area contain all food and drink. The out side of the kitchen door there was a big hall and arranged tables and chairs.
On the other hand of the college cafes today after design. The college cafes have two doors enter and out. On the left side of the enter door there was a Recycling bins and Toilets and a door with the toilets side. On the other side there are two rooms one is take away food and other is Coffee bar in the front side of these rooms there is a big hall. In this hall arranged some chair and tables. On the other side of the room there is a kitchen and a hot meal. In front of the kitchen door there is a salad bar. On the other side of the salad bar there is a door.
On the out side of the door there is a seating area on the right side of the door there is a Barbecue. In the seating area there arranged five tables two tables is small and three tables large. These two small tables around four chair and the three large tables each around six chairs. These two plans show the college cafes before and after design.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The candidate attempts to describe the two plans showing the college cafe before and after its redesign. While the main features are identified—such as the kitchen, seating areas, toilets, and the addition of the outdoor seating and barbecue—the response struggles with accurate reporting and spatial referencing. For example, the student states that the staff dining rooms contained 'seven chairs and one table,' which misreads the visual data showing four chairs. Furthermore, the description tends to list individual locations rather than providing a cohesive overview or making clear, comparative generalizations between the two maps. Consequently, the task is addressed only partially, aligning with the Band 5 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is divided into paragraphs separating the introduction, the first plan, the second plan, and a brief concluding sentence. However, logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and confusing spatial markers, such as 'On the other hand of the college cafes today after design.' Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes inaccurate, leading to a choppy reading experience where relationships between ideas are not always clear. Paragraphing is attempted, but overall organization lacks a smooth, coherent flow, fitting the Band 5 criteria.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, heavily relying on words like 'door,' 'side,' 'table,' and 'chair.' There are noticeable errors in word choice and morphology, such as 'gate enter and out,' 'out side,' and 'hot meal' instead of 'hot meals' or a counter for hot meals. Less common lexical items are rarely attempted, and spelling or phrasing errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, placing this response firmly in the Band 5 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student uses a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple clauses and repetitive existential structures ('there was' / 'there is'). Attempts at more complex sentences are frequently faulty or ungrammatical, as seen in sentences like 'The two plans illustrate show that the college Cafes before it was redesigned and after design how it looks now.' Grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies and incorrect prepositions, which often impede smooth communication and correspond to a Band 4.5 or 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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