Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19
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 map depicts the design of a college cafe before, then it was redesigned and how it is looking now.
Overall, I can see a great difference between the two plans. First the cafe has only one main entrance and now two more more ebtrances have added on back side and some extra dining area has also added for the visitors.
Salad bar has been added in main hall and staff dining rooms have been replaced with take away food and coffee bar. Barbecue section is also new in the cafe today which is located on left corner in back side. Serving area has also been replaced with hot meals.
Recycle bin is also new replacing the bin in old cafe. Some extra area has been added in the back side which will allow more public to come cafe and enjoy their meal in the outdoor seating which contains three big tables and two small table. Inspite of these changes some things remained the same like kitchen, toilets and the main hall.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main changes between the two plans, noting modifications such as the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, barbecue area, and the conversion of staff dining rooms into a take-away food counter and coffee bar. However, the overview is overly informal and lacks precision in summarizing the overarching spatial transformations. Additionally, some details contain minor inaccuracies, such as the number of tables in the outdoor seating area. While the response addresses the prompt and meets the minimum length requirement, the development of ideas remains somewhat superficial and relies on a list-like presentation of features rather than fully integrated comparative analysis. This performance aligns best with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into short paragraphs, but the overall progression of ideas feels disjointed and lacks sophisticated cohesive devices. The introduction is very informal ('then it was redesigned and how it is looking now'), and transitions between sentences rely heavily on repetitive additive links like 'also'. Paragraphing is attempted, but grouping related features (such as grouping all interior modifications together versus exterior additions) could be clearer. Referencing is occasionally confusing, for instance when describing the outdoor seating tables. While the text is generally readable, the mechanical use of cohesive ties and basic paragraph structuring limit the score to a Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, featuring frequent reliance on common verbs such as 'added', 'replaced', and 'remained'. There are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'how it is looking now', 'more ebtrances have added on back side', and 'come cafe'. While the writer attempts some topic-specific vocabulary related to the map features (e.g., 'salad bar', 'coffee bar', 'outdoor seating'), the overall lexical range is limited and contains errors in word choice and preposition use that detract from the academic register required for Task 1.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors in grammar, article usage, and prepositions throughout the text, including 'two more more ebtrances have added', 'on back side', 'come cafe', and 'Inspite of these changes'. Passive voice constructions are frequently mishandled, as seen in 'have added' instead of 'have been added'. Although these errors do not completely obscure the message, their frequency prevents the writing from achieving a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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