Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The plans illustrate the change that were made to a college cafe before and after its redesign.

Overall, the cafe has undergone several significant changes, including the introduction of a coffee bar, a takeaway food area, a salad bar and outdoor seating. The staff dining rooms have also been removed, while the kitchen and toilets have remained in their original locations.

Before the redesign, the upper part of the cafe considered of a kitchen and a serving area for all food and drinks. The main dining area occupied most of the remaining space, with two staff dining rooms located in the centre. Toilets were situated in the bottom-right corner, while a bin was placed along the right-hand wall.

Following the redesign, the serving area was replaced by a hot-meals section within the kitchen. Two new facilities, namely a takeaway food counter and a coffee bar, were added to the central area. The former staff dining rooms were removed to create more space for tables and chairs. In addition, a salad bar was installed on the left side, and recycling bins replaced the single bin. Finally, a barbecue and several outdoor tables were added outside the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making clear comparisons between the college cafe before and after its redesign. An appropriate overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting key structural alterations such as the addition of the coffee bar, takeaway area, salad bar, and outdoor seating, alongside what remained unchanged (the kitchen and toilets). The details selected are accurate and grounded in the visual data. For instance, the student correctly notes the removal of the staff dining rooms and the addition of the outdoor seating and barbecue. All requirements of Task 1 are met effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs, moving from an introductory statement and an overall summary to detailed descriptions of the past and present layouts. Progression is clear and easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Before the redesign', 'Following the redesign', 'In addition', and 'Finally' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the spatial changes. Paragraphing is logical and fully appropriate for a report of this nature, ensuring that information about the past and present is cleanly separated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is sufficiently wide and precise for the task, successfully employing terms related to architectural changes and spatial descriptions, such as 'redesigned', 'undergone several significant changes', 'relocated', and 'installed'. There is a minor slip with the verb form in the opening sentence ('the change that were made'), but overall, lexical control is good. Less common vocabulary items like 'recycling bins', 'barbecue', and 'takeaway food counter' are integrated naturally and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using passive voice effectively (e.g., 'the cafe has undergone', 'The serving area was replaced', 'a salad bar was installed'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well. There is one minor typographical/grammatical error in the opening sentence ('change that were made' instead of 'changes that were made'), and a slight spelling/word-form error in the third paragraph ('considered of' instead of 'consisted of'). However, these errors are rare and do not impede communication.

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