Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16
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 given blueprint present the data regarding to modifications done in a college cafe.
overall, significant modification take place in a cafe. Numerous fecilities are established compare to past.
Firstly, in the north west direction kitchen remains same. However, serving area is swapped with Hot meals area. Two different staff dining rooms with round table are converted into a take away food and a Coffee bar. Moreover, Bin is modified into recycling bins in the east side of map.In the centre of the cafe table and chaiir remain the same.
Although a new enterance is build near the toilets and at the far end of the cafe in the west side, no modification are made in the toilets. They arrange a outdoor seating, which contains three long tables and two shor tables. In addition to, a Barbecue was establish outside fo the cafe near the enterance of in the south wast. A salad bar recently introduce next to the enterance point in the west.
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 student attempts to address the task by outlining the main changes shown in the two maps of the college cafe. An overview is provided ('significant modification take place...'), and key transformations are noted, such as the conversion of the staff dining rooms into a take away food and coffee bar area, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. However, there are some inaccuracies and misinterpretations of the visual data. For example, the student states that a new entrance is built near the toilets, which is not supported by the plan, and confuses cardinal directions or spatial positions in places. Furthermore, the details regarding the outdoor seating and barbecue are somewhat jumbled. The response covers the main features but lacks precision and full development.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is divided into four very short paragraphs, including a single-sentence overview. Progression is attempted using sequencing words like 'Firstly', but the overall logical flow is weakened by disjointed sentences and abrupt transitions, such as jumping between indoor and outdoor changes without clear spatial links. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or inaccurate ('In addition to'). Paragraphing is initiated, but paragraphs lack internal cohesion and clear topical unity, resulting in a somewhat fragmented structure that aligns with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and adequate for basic task reporting, but contains frequent errors in word choice, spelling, and collocation. Examples include 'blueprint' instead of 'plans' or 'maps', 'fecilities' (facilities), 'chaiir' (chair), 'enterance' (entrance), and 'wast' (west). The writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to the prompt ('modifications', 'recycling bins'), but inaccurate spelling and morphological forms ('recently introduce' instead of 'recently introduced', 'establish outside fo' instead of 'established outside of') detract from the quality of the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The text contains a mix of simple and emerging complex structures, but grammatical accuracy is weak throughout. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'The given blueprint present' instead of 'presents', 'modification take place' instead of 'modifications take place', 'in a cafe' instead of 'in the cafe', and 'They arrange a outdoor seating' instead of 'An outdoor seating area has been arranged'. Punctuation is also erratic, with missing commas and periods in places. These errors frequently distract the reader, placing the grammar score solidly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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