Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
The provided maps compare the layout of the collage cafe before and after its redevelopment.
Overall, it is evident that the major changes took place in the southern part of the map where outdoor seating has been constructed. Additionally, it is designed to increase the overall capacity of the customers.
Looking first at the northern part of the maps, the area where foods and drinks were served has been transformed into the area for hot meals, while the kitchen remain unchanged. Additionally, the rooms that were used for the staff dining have been replaced by a cafe bar and food take away section. Looking at the east, additional recycling bins have been added next to the toilets.
Turning to the southern part, new outdoor seating has been constructed along with a barbecue section to the west corner. Interestingly, two doorways have been installed to enter and to exit from the outdoor seating area to manage the flow of the customers. Furthermore, a section of salad bar has been built inside the cafe to the western corner.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign and making relevant comparisons. An adequate overview is provided, highlighting the major changes in the southern part and the expansion of capacity. Key spatial transformations are captured accurately, such as the conversion of the serving area to hot meals, the replacement of staff dining rooms with a cafe bar and takeaway section, and the addition of outdoor seating, a barbecue, and a salad bar. Minor typos like 'collage' instead of 'college' do not impede task comprehension, and the information is well-supported by the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is clearly organised into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction and overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing the northern and southern changes respectively. Cohesive devices are used adequately and transparently, such as 'Looking first at', 'Additionally', and 'Turning to the southern part'. Progression is logical and easy to follow. However, paragraphing is somewhat basic, and referencing could be slightly more fluid to reach the highest bands, but overall cohesion is clear and effective throughout.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'redevelopment', 'transformed', 'constructed', and 'capacity'. There are occasional slight lexical inaccuracies, such as 'cafe bar' instead of 'coffee bar' and a typographical error in the opening sentence ('collage' instead of 'college'), but these do not hinder communication. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some awareness of collocation and style, though greater precision in reporting map features would elevate the score further.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
A mix of simple and complex sentence structures is used effectively, including passive constructions like 'has been transformed' and 'has been constructed'. Control of grammar and punctuation is generally good, and frequent error-free sentences are produced. There are minor slips, such as 'the kitchen remain unchanged' (subject-verb agreement error with 'remain') and slightly awkward phrasing like 'is designed to increase', but these errors do not impede communication. The grammatical range is appropriate for an academic task of this nature.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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