Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The given diagrams illustrates the looks of cafe before it redesigned and the view of cafe nowadays.
Overall, the given diagrams show the difference between the design of old cafe and redesigned cafe. I will discuss that with my opinion.
Firstly, the diagram of old cafe illustrates kitchen in top north east corner of the cafe that contains serving area in it. The "Bin" is located to west side while "toilet" is on south west corner. There are two staff dining rooms that are illustrated in north of cafe. At last the Tables and chairs are shown at centre of the cafe.
Now about the cafe appearance after reconstructions is illustrated on the diagram in this manner that, kitchen is still at the same location but now there is not serving area inside the kitchen. The serving area is moved to the one of the left sided staff dining room. As well as the second staff dining room is now introduced as a coffee bar. The tables and chairs area is still same but new table and chair area at outside of cafe in south is constructed. In additionally, the toilet and bin areas are still at the same places. There are two new places that are salad bar in west of the bar. whereas the barbecue in the south west corner of outside of the cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The candidate attempts to address the task by describing the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign. However, there are several misreadings of the diagram. For instance, the student states that the kitchen was in the top north east corner, whereas the visual data shows it in the upper-left section. Furthermore, the comment 'I will discuss that with my opinion' is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, as personal opinions are not required. While the main structural changes—such as the addition of the outdoor seating, barbecue, salad bar, and the conversion of staff rooms into a coffee bar and take-away area—are mentioned, the inaccuracies in spatial orientation prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by a brief overview containing conversational meta-language, and then body paragraphs detailing the 'before' and 'after' plans. However, logical progression is hindered by awkward transitions and repetitive sentence starters such as 'Firstly', 'Now about', and 'In additionally'. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or misused, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'moved to the one of the left sided staff dining room'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall structure feels disjointed rather than naturally flowing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and repetitive. The student frequently reuses basic vocabulary such as 'cafe', 'diagram', 'kitchen', 'tables and chairs', and 'area'. There are also awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'the looks of cafe before it redesigned' and 'reconstructions is illustrated on the diagram in this manner that'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary result in errors, and spelling or phrasing inaccuracies occasionally distract the reader. Vocabulary control aligns best with Band 5 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and attempted complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is low. There are frequent errors in verb forms, articles, and prepositions, such as 'The given diagrams illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error), 'before it redesigned' (passive voice omission), 'in top north east corner', and 'new table and chair area at outside of cafe'. Punctuation is basic. Because these errors occur frequently and occasionally impede smooth reading, the writing sits firmly at Band 5 for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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