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 given plans compare a college cafeteria previously it was modified and how it appears today.
Overall, the cafe opened an outdoor seating arragement with a barbecue. The staff dining rooms are converted into take away food and a coffee bar
To begin with, the cafe introduced a novel outdoor seating with a barbecue which was previously absent. New entrancs are added to connect with the utdoor seating. A new salad bar is placed at the north-western side of the cafe. Meanwhile, the staff dining rooms are modified into take away food and a coffee bar. Recycling bins are replaced by normal bins.
The kitchen remained intact; whereas serving area has been renovated into hot meals. Toilets, chairs and tables remained in the same area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers several key changes between the two plans, such as the introduction of outdoor seating, a barbecue, a salad bar, and the conversion of staff dining rooms into a take away food area and a coffee bar. However, there are some inaccuracies, such as stating that 'Recycling bins are replaced by normal bins' when the plan actually shows normal bins being replaced by recycling bins. Furthermore, the response falls short of the 155-word recommended minimum, containing only 125 words, which limits the depth of the overview and comparison. Therefore, it addresses the task only partially.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into four brief paragraphs, starting with an introduction, an overall statement, and body details. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped due to the extreme brevity of the text. Cohesive devices are used minimally and somewhat mechanically, such as 'To begin with' and 'Meanwhile'. Progression is present, but the abrupt transitions and very short paragraphs prevent a smooth logical flow across the text, placing it within the Band 5 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, featuring appropriate terms such as 'cafeteria', 'redesigned', 'converted', and 'barbecue'. There are a few lexical errors or awkward expressions, such as 'previously it was modified' instead of 'before it was modified' and 'arragement' (spelling error). The writer attempts some less common vocabulary like 'introduced a novel outdoor seating', but overall the range is somewhat limited and restricted by the short length of the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ('which was previously absent'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including 'previously it was modified' and 'New entrancs are added' (spelling and article issues). Punctuation is also missing at the end of some sentences, particularly in the second paragraph. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect a limited control over complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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