Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The given diagrams illustrate the layout of a college café before it was redesigned and how it appears today.

Overall, it is clear that the café has become more self-service oriented, with new food stations such as a salad bar and barbecue area added, along with outdoor seating, while one of the staff dining rooms was converted into a coffee bar.

Firstly, the diagram of the old café shows the kitchen at the top left corner, containing a serving area inside it. The bin is located on the right side, while the toilets are at the bottom right corner. There are two staff dining rooms shown at the top, next to the kitchen. Lastly, the tables and chairs are positioned at the centre of the café.

Now, regarding the café's appearance after redesign, the kitchen remains in the same location, but the serving area has been removed from inside it. Instead, a hot meals counter is now attached to the kitchen, and a salad bar has been added on the left side. One of the former staff dining rooms has been converted into a take-away food counter, while the other has become a coffee bar. The tables and chairs area remains largely the same, but new outdoor seating and a barbecue area have been added at the bottom of the café. In addition, the toilets remain in the same position, while the bin has been replaced by recycling bins on the right side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by comparing the layout of the college cafe before and after the redesign. An effective overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main trends such as the shift towards self-service, the addition of new food stations, and outdoor dining facilities. Key features are accurately reported and supported by the visual data, such as the conversion of the staff dining rooms into a take-away food counter and a coffee bar, the addition of a salad bar and barbecue area, and the replacement of the bin with recycling bins. The information is logically selected and reported without major omissions, demonstrating a solid understanding of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is well-organized and easy to follow. Ideas are logically sequenced, beginning with an introductory overview, followed by a description of the past layout, and concluding with the current layout. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different temporal aspects of the visual data. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Now, regarding', 'Instead', and 'In addition' are employed effectively to guide the reader through the comparison, ensuring clear logical progression throughout the text without any mechanical feel.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task describing spatial changes. Phrases such as 'self-service oriented', 'converted into', 'remain in the same location', and 'largely the same' show good control and precision. Although the vocabulary is mostly standard and functional rather than highly sophisticated or uncommon, it is used accurately and flexibly to describe the map features. There are no notable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and prepositional phrases effectively (e.g., 'while one of the staff dining rooms was converted into a coffee bar' and 'the kitchen remains in the same location, but the serving area has been removed'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical control over tense shifts (from past references to present states) is handled well. Punctuation is accurate, and minor slips do not impede understanding.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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