Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20
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 diagram illustrates the current new look of a college cafe after it was renovated.
The redesigning of the cafe includes several changes such as dividing the serving area and providing both indoor and outdoor dining options however the separate dining space for staff is no longer available.
The cafe before redesigning directly had space available for dining right after the entrance with bins and toilet located at the left side. If we move straight from entrance, we can find separate space available for staff to dine in. Moving ahead, we had kitchen and serving area for all kind of food and drink.
The cafe after redesigning have several changes but bins and toilet are still on the left side of the old entrance followed by the indoor dining space. The prominent difference was in the division of serving area based on the food category and soon as we enter from the old entrance we can find coffee bar and takeaway food section. Followed by kitchen and hotmeals area at the right side. As per redesigning, the salad bar was also available in a separate section. If you want to have lunch in the fresh air, outdoor dining was also available with barbecue section also there for proper outflow of smoke.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons between the two plans. An overview is provided in the introduction and second paragraph, noting key changes such as the division of the serving area and the addition of outdoor dining. However, there are some minor spatial misreadings; for instance, the student states that the bins and toilets are located on the left side of the old entrance, whereas the visual reference shows them on the eastern/right-hand side. Despite these minor orientation inaccuracies, the response adequately satisfies the requirements of Academic Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement and is divided into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, an overview, and then separate paragraphs for the 'before' and 'after' layouts. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'If we move straight from entrance' and 'The prominent difference was', although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or unnatural. Paragraphing is adequate, but referencing and directional markers can occasionally cause confusion, such as placing the bins and toilets on the incorrect side of the building.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a spatial redesign, using terms such as 'renovated', 'redesigning', 'category', and 'prominent difference'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'current new look' (redundant) and 'for proper outflow of smoke' regarding the barbecue area. Less common lexical items are attempted, but accuracy is inconsistent, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 territory.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating clauses with 'such as', 'however', and conditional structures like 'If we move straight'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, such as 'The cafe after redesigning have several changes' (subject-verb agreement), 'for all kind of food' (singular/plural noun error), and 'soon as we enter' (missing article/preposition). Punctuation is also slightly weak, with run-on sentences lacking proper comma placement. These errors do not impede communication but occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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