Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18
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 map below compares the information about a cafe's outlook of how it looked before versus the current layout.
Overall, several facilities were added in the new cafe. The new cafe has more space and offers more facilities as compared with the previous one. In the previous cafe, the serving area was limited. Only one corner was used to serve all kinds of food and drinks. In the new cafe, there are separate reservation spots for different services. Basically, in the new layout, dining rooms for staff have been replaced with, separate food ssections. Now there is designated space for each of the food/ beverage section. salad bar, takeaway food, coffee bar and a hot meal has separate sections.
Other distinct features are outdoor seating and a barbecue option, which were not available in the previous layout. More space is allocated to the trash area in the new cafe. former design have a linited space for bins. In the new cafe dining room space
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by comparing the layout of the college cafe before and after the redesign. An overview is provided in the second paragraph mentioning that facilities were added and spaces were expanded. Key features such as the removal of staff dining rooms, the addition of separate food stations (salad bar, takeaway food, coffee bar, and hot meals), and the introduction of outdoor seating and a barbecue are correctly identified. However, the response cuts off abruptly at the end ('In the new cafe dining room space'), leaving the description incomplete. Furthermore, the task requires a formal report rather than descriptive commentary referring to a 'map', and the development is somewhat limited, leading to a Band 5.5 score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into introductory and body paragraphs, though the formatting is disjointed with excessive line breaks. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, relying on transitional phrases like 'In the previous cafe' and 'In the new cafe'. The progression of ideas is discernible, but the abrupt ending of the text significantly harms the overall flow and structural cohesion. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph consists of only two fragmented sentences before trailing off entirely. These issues align with a Band 5.0 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'serving area', 'facilities', and 'food and drinks' are reused. There are noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'ssections' instead of 'sections', 'linited' instead of 'limited', and the awkward phrasing 'reservation spots' instead of counters or stations. While less common vocabulary is attempted ('designated space', 'distinct features'), errors in word choice and spelling hinder precision and clarity, restricting the score to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is inconsistent. There are several punctuation and capitalization errors, such as extra spaces and missing periods, alongside grammatical slips like 'former design have a linited space' (subject-verb agreement error). The response also features incomplete sentences and syntax breakdown towards the end. While the core meaning remains partially intelligible, the frequency of basic structural errors and the unfinished conclusion place the performance firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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