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 diagram illustrates a college cafe before it was renovated and how it looks now.
Overall, it can be seen that new designated stations are built, along with an introduction to outdoor sitting space. The trash bins are exchanged to recycle bin.
It is observed that before redevelopment there was only a single reserved area for all food and drinks, making the arrangement relatively simple. Changes in indoor space by adding separate area for hot meal and salad bar, these changes provide more food options, with the conversion of staff dining room to take away food and coffee bar. Normal bins are replaced by recycling bins.
Another interesting feature, is the introduction of outdoor space with the addition of outdoor seating expanding the area. This provides students with additional space to sit and eat outside along with the barbecue station. These changes have made the cafe more suitable for serving students.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarising the main changes between the two college cafe plans. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, noting the creation of new designated stations and an outdoor seating area. Key spatial transformations are reported accurately, such as the conversion of the staff dining rooms into a take-away food and coffee bar, the addition of a salad bar and barbecue station, and the relocation of bins to recycling facilities. However, the response leans slightly towards listing features rather than fully developing comparative relationships across the two time periods, which keeps the score at Band 6.5. Minor generalisations occur, but the overall task is adequately covered.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from an introductory statement and general overview to specific indoor and outdoor developments. Paragraphing is utilized, separating the introduction/overview from body details. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'Overall', 'It is observed that', and 'Another interesting feature', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or formulaic. Referencing is generally clear, guiding the reader through the various map changes without losing the thread of the description. Overall cohesion is satisfactory and supports the flow of information adequately.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a diagram description task, employing terms such as 'renovated', 'designated stations', 'redevelopment', and 'conversion'. Less common lexical items are attempted, including 'redevelopment' and 'recycling bins', though there are occasional lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'outdoor sitting space' instead of 'outdoor seating area' and 'hot meal' in the singular. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the described changes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory participial clauses ('Changes in indoor space by adding separate area...') and passive constructions ('The trash bins are exchanged to recycle bin'). While complex sentences are attempted, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'The trash bins are exchanged to recycle bin' (preposition/article issues) and 'Changes in indoor space by adding separate area...' (fragmented structure). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors occur, they rarely impede overall comprehension, fitting the Band 6 profile.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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