Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The given plans illustrates the before and after redesiging of a college cafe in which major funtional and minor structural changes were made. At the top left side, the cafe kitchen previously served drinks and food, now ser
Overall, the old cafe had no take away food service, but it has been incorporated in the new design in place of one of the staff dining room, and the other room has been converted into a coffee bar.
The major upgradation is the installation of a recycyling bin instead of an ordinary bin at the eastern side of the cafe. Previously, the western side of the cafe was empty, but now a salad bar has been intalled there. Moreover, the cafe has made a noteable extension by installing a barbecue booth and outdoor seating consistong of three six seater and two four seater tables where the customers can enjoy warm and fres barbecue.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarize the main changes between the two plans of the college cafe, noting developments such as the introduction of the take-away food section, coffee bar, salad bar, recycling bins, and outdoor seating with a barbecue. However, the text suffers from a major structural issue: the second sentence breaks off abruptly ("now ser"), and the piece is barely above the word count threshold at 152 words. Furthermore, some details are slightly inaccurate (e.g., staff dining rooms were plural, and the barbecue area is positioned differently in relation to the main indoor seating). While the overview is present, the development of ideas is limited and truncated by the incomplete sentence, placing this response at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response attempts an overarching summary in the second paragraph, but the overall organization is severely disrupted by the broken second sentence of the first paragraph. Paragraphing is rudimentary, with an abrupt transition from the incomplete opening to the overview and subsequent details. Cohesive devices are minimal, and referencing between sentences becomes unclear due to the missing clause in the first paragraph. There is a lack of smooth progression across the text, reflecting Band 5.0 characteristics where organization is attempted but overall cohesion is inadequate and mechanical.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student attempts some task-specific vocabulary such as "functional," "structural," "upgradation," and "recycyling." However, there are noticeable spelling errors ("redesiging", "funtional", "recycyling", "intalled", "noteable", "consistong", "fres"), and word formation issues like "upgradation" (instead of "upgrade"). The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive, and the inaccurate spelling occasionally causes strain for the reader. These characteristics align closely with Band 5.0 descriptors, where lexical limitations and frequent spelling errors are apparent.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ("where the customers can enjoy warm and fres barbecue"). However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. The response contains a severe grammatical breakdown where a sentence is left completely unfinished ("now ser"). Additionally, there are punctuation and agreement errors. While some complex forms are attempted, the frequency of errors and the incomplete sentence structure restrict the grammar score to Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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