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 maps show the changes that took place in a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks today.
Overall, the layout underwent significant modernization, with several new facilities replacing older structures and area was expanded
In the northern part of the map, the serving area for all drinks and food was renovated to make way for hot meals. Additonally, a new salad bar was constructed in the direction of north-east, connecting staff dining rooms was removed to take away food and coffee bar.
Futhermore, the bin and toilets in the western direction was expanded, and a new recycling bins was built in its place. While the original structure where tables and chairs area remained unchanged, there are new outdoor seating arrangements was constructed in the southern part of map which was newly opened nearly to the barbecue area.
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 makes a clear attempt to summarise the main changes between the two maps, noting key transformations such as the introduction of the salad bar, the hot meals counter, and the outdoor seating area. However, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement, containing only 141 words, which incurs a penalty. Furthermore, there are some minor spatial inaccuracies and awkward descriptions regarding the locations (e.g., stating that the bin and toilets in the western direction were expanded). The overview is also truncated by an incomplete sentence fragment ('and area was expanded'). To reach a higher band, the student must ensure the word count requirement is fully met and provide a more precise and complete summary of the spatial data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from an introduction to an overview and body paragraphs detailing specific spatial changes. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the northern part', and 'Furthermore' are used to structure the response. However, paragraphing is slightly disrupted by the incomplete second sentence in the overview. Additionally, referencing and logical transitions occasionally falter, such as the awkward phrasing in 'connecting staff dining rooms was removed to take away food and coffee bar'. Overall arrangement is coherent, but mechanical errors in cohesion limit the score to a Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts to use a range of vocabulary suitable for a map comparison task, such as 'modernization', 'renovated', 'constructed', and 'unchanged'. However, word choice and collocations are occasionally imprecise or unnatural, such as 'in the direction of north-east' instead of 'to the northeast', and 'new recycling bins was built' where plural/singular agreement fails. There are also noticeable vocabulary limitations and repetition. Despite these flaws, the lexical range is adequate to convey the basic message and communicate the visual information effectively, fitting the criteria for Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several noticeable grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'there are new outdoor seating arrangements was constructed') and fragmented or dangling clauses ('connecting staff dining rooms was removed'). Additionally, the incomplete sentence in the overview ('and area was expanded') highlights a lack of careful proofreading. While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, their frequency prevents the essay from achieving a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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