Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given map despict the information about a colllege cafe prior to redesign and how it's look now.
From an overall analysis,it is an evident that, the cafe has been change with many new features.In the past,
there were few facilities like,toilets,kithen, sitting area and staff dining room . while after redesign, new facilities have been added including, coffee bar, bar salad, recycling bin, and barbecue.
To expound the chart in detail, In a cafe before redesign,there was a table and chairs for student in the middle . Right front of the table and chaurs there was a staff dining room. Morevover, In the northewest there was a serving area in which all the malas and beverages were prepared. Furthermore,In a east , there was bin for wastage and to the southeast there was a toielts.
As further scrutiny reveals, In the present, staff dining room has now been replaced by a take away food or coffee bar.The table and chairs that were stood in the middle is remained stable. Followed by , the bin in northest is now converted into recycling bin.Toilets also remained at the same place. Probing ahead,the salad bar has been added, the serving area has ben converted into hot meals. Lastly,outside the cafe , barbecue and outdoor sitting is alsp available.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign, making appropriate comparisons. The overview captures the general transformation effectively, noting the introduction of new facilities such as the coffee bar, salad bar, and barbecue. Key spatial features are identified, including the relocation of the serving area to hot meals, the conversion of staff dining rooms into take-away food and coffee bar sections, and the addition of outdoor seating. While some minor descriptive details are slightly imprecise, the overall response covers the required information comprehensively and fulfills the task requirements well, aligning with the descriptors for Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, moving from an introduction and general overview to detailed descriptions of the past and present layouts. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly placed, as seen in phrases like 'To expound the chart in detail' and 'As further scrutiny reveals'. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraphing and transitions could be smoother. There are punctuation and spacing issues after commas and periods (e.g., 'analysis,it is an evident that,'), which slightly detracts from the flow. Overall, the essay demonstrates a coherent arrangement that fits the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to maps and changes such as 'redesigned', 'facilities', 'converted', and 'relocated' (though some non-standard phrases appear). There are several noticeable spelling errors throughout the text, including 'despict' for depict, 'colllege' for college, 'kithen' for kitchen, 'malas' for meals, and 'alsp' also. Less common vocabulary items are attempted, but inaccuracies in word choice and spelling limit the score. This performance fits the Band 5.0 to 5.5 profile.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are numerous grammatical and mechanical errors, such as missing articles ('in a east', 'in northest'), incorrect prepositions ('in the northewest'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the table and chairs that were stood in the middle is remained stable'), and redundant punctuation. These errors occur frequently and occasionally cause slight strain for the reader, though the overall meaning remains decipherable. This aligns well with the criteria for Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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