Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17
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 6.0)
The provided images demonstrate the arrangement plans of a college cafe, before and after renovation.
Overall, the preceding configuration of the college cafe had a vast amount of empty space, however the current setup consists of several addition, such as rooms and sections, making the entire cafe more functional and productive.
Primarily, the college cafe provided only staff dining rooms to the northern boundary of the setting, with singular bin on the Eastern boundary. Furthermore, on the top left hand side, the cafe only had kitchen and serving area. After the refurbishment, there are outdoor seating arrangements for students enabling productivity at the cafe.
Moreover, a few amenities were also considered such as a salad bar on the Western side with a barbecue stand. Additionally, the previous staff dining rooms were converted into take away food and coffee bar sections, while also multiplying the number of recycling bins, enhancing overall cleanliness, directly contributing to the environment as well.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully addresses the main features of the two maps, comparing the layout before and after the redesign. The student identifies key changes such as the addition of the outdoor seating area, the barbecue, the salad bar, and the conversion of staff dining rooms into take away food and coffee bar sections. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the general trend of increased functionality. However, there are minor lapses in precision, such as referring to the staff dining rooms as being located on the northern boundary when they occupied the top wall section, and describing a 'singular bin' rather than a single bin. Overall, the task is handled adequately, meeting all core requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then body paragraphs detailing specific spatial changes. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the comparison, including transition words like 'Overall', 'Primarily', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate general introductory remarks from specific spatial details. However, some referencing is slightly mechanical, and the progression between sentences could be smoother in places. Despite these minor issues, the overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow throughout.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing spatial changes and architectural layouts, using terms such as 'refurbishment', 'configuration', 'amenities', and 'boundary'. Less common items are attempted with varying success, though there are some slight word choice and collocation issues, such as 'several addition' (instead of additions) and 'singular bin' (instead of a single bin). Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. With more precise word choices and varied collocations, the score could easily reach a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory subordinate clauses ('After the refurbishment, there are outdoor seating arrangements...'). Control over grammar is fairly good, but a few noticeable errors persist, including pluralization issues ('several addition') and slight article inaccuracies ('singular bin on the Eastern boundary'). Punctuation is generally handled well, and the errors do not impede communication or cause severe difficulty for the reader. The majority of simple sentences are error-free, placing this securely in the Band 6 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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