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 given plan is a sketch of a college cafeteria, which is before and after the redesigning and relocating new furniture.

Overall, the area remained the same but a lot of new things were introduced in the cafe and more seating area increased for the students as well as for the staff.

Initially, there was a kitchen in the north west direction which also served food and drinks however instead of food and drinks hot meals are served there. The toilet and area of tables and chairs is untouched. The staff dining rooms are replaced by a coffee bar and take away food stalls. There is no new special area for the staff members in the new cafe in the college.

Furthermore, a barbecue and salad bar is introduced lately. In current cafe, there are more seating area than before. Outer seating is also managed by the cafe. Moreover, there were only one gate for entry and exit before but an increment in the number of doors can be spotted easily.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student attempts to address the task by describing the main changes between the two floor plans of the college cafe. An overview is provided, noting that the area remained the same while new facilities and seating were added. Key features are reported, such as the retention of the kitchen and toilets, the conversion of staff dining rooms into a coffee bar and takeaway area, and the addition of a salad bar, barbecue, and outdoor seating. However, some details are slightly inaccurate or vague, such as the statement that 'hot meals are served there' instead of the previous serving area, and the mention of gates instead of doors. The overall progression covers the main features adequately, placing the response comfortably at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text is organized into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overview, and then detailing specific changes indoors and outdoors. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Initially', and 'Furthermore'. However, paragraphing could be structured more logically, and referencing is sometimes repetitive or slightly mechanical, such as 'In current cafe'. While the overall arrangement is coherent, the flow and transitions between sentences occasionally feel abrupt, matching the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to floor plans and amenities, such as 'cafeteria', 'redesigning', 'coffee bar', 'take away food stalls', and 'salad bar'. There are some awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'relocating new furniture' and 'Outer seating is also managed by the cafe', along with minor inaccuracies. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, placing this criterion at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which is before and after') and conditional-style constructions. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including 'a lot of new things were introduced', 'more seating area increased', and 'there were only one gate'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of minor structural errors means that while communication is not impeded, the writing does not consistently achieve error-free complex sentences, warranting a Band 6.0.

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

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