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 provided plan shows the before and after designs of college cafe after its redesigning.
Overall, a new addition of hot meals, salad bar, takeaway food and coffee bar were introduced. And the cafe is expanded with barbecue and outdoor seating. Few areas remained unchanged like kitchen, toilets, and tables and chairs. The bins are replaced with recycle bins.
The area for kitchen remained untouched, while the serving area adjacent to kitchen is replaced with hot meals. Furthermore, staff dinning rooms were removed with addition of food take away and coffee bar rooms. In the cafe area the toilets and tables and chairs remained same whereas, the bin was upgraded with recycle bins meanwhile, a new salad bar is added adjacent to kitchen door.
Moreover, the cafe was is expanded with a area designated for outdoor seating with a barbecue chamber on the left of the map. Along with 2 doors connecting the main cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully identifies the main changes between the two maps, noting the transformation of the staff dining rooms into a coffee bar and takeaway area, the addition of a salad bar, outdoor seating, and a barbecue. An overview is provided, capturing both the new additions and the areas that remained unchanged, such as the kitchen, toilets, and central seating. However, the response is relatively brief and occasionally lacks precision in reporting spatial relationships and details. For instance, stating that 'the cafe was is expanded with a area designated' contains a typographical error, and the description of the new features could have been more thoroughly extended to meet the higher band descriptors. Nevertheless, all key developments are covered adequately, earning a solid Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged into a logical overall structure, beginning with an introductory overview and following with paragraphs detailing specific changes. Cohesive devices are used to transition between ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'meanwhile', and 'Moreover'. However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, and the opening paragraph is very brief. Referencing and logical progression are generally clear, but mechanical repetition of transitional phrases and minor organizational awkwardness prevent the text from achieving a higher score. Cohesion is functional and adequate for a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing plans and spatial changes, using terms like 'redesigned', 'adjacent', 'unchanged', and 'designated'. There are occasional awkward word choices and lexical slips, such as 'redesigning' instead of 'redesign', 'recycle bins' instead of 'recycling bins', and 'food take away' rather than 'takeaway food'. Spelling is mostly accurate, but vocabulary flexibility is limited. The range is sufficient to convey the main points clearly, aligning with the Band 6.0 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing passive structures ('were introduced', 'were removed', 'is expanded') and prepositional phrases. However, there are notable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, such as 'the cafe was is expanded with a area designated' (grammatical error and article misuse) and sentence fragments like 'Along with 2 doors connecting the main cafe.' While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching Band 6.5 or higher. Control over grammar is fair, supporting a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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