Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

diagram shows two side of college cafe before and restructuring it.

Sketch of the cafe shows significant change in kitchen area, addition of take away, as well as open area for customers.

Layout of the cantine is looking more fancy than earlier, different key changes are observed clearly. Kitchen is now looks less messy, addition of take away and coffe bar looks modern. Morever, barbecue setup also included changed the atmosphere completely into elegant view specially when you sit outdoor, recently added.

After remodeling of cafe, a significant step is taken to protect environment by replacing a bin with new recycling bins which are of course modern technique to overcome pollution. Other healthy option is also available for clients is Salad bar. One thing remain un changed in the entire interior is toilets, no alteration in bathroom is done. Both the layouts have a option for their consumers to dine-in.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the main changes shown in the plans, such as the addition of the takeaway, coffee bar, salad bar, barbecue, and outdoor seating. However, the student fails to provide a proper overview of the overall changes and includes inappropriate subjective commentary, describing the layout as looking more 'fancy' or 'elegant' rather than presenting objective data. Furthermore, some key features are missed or imprecisely described. While all parts of the task are touched upon, the lack of a clear academic overview and the inclusion of personal opinions prevent this response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is divided into several short paragraphs, but the overall structure and logical progression are weak. The essay lacks an introductory overview sentence and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or repetitively (e.g., starting consecutive sentences with 'Morever' and 'After remodeling'). Reference words and linking phrases are sometimes missing or misused, resulting in a somewhat disjointed flow of ideas. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks clear thematic organisation.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate to convey basic concepts related to the diagrams, but it is limited and contains several lexical and spelling errors (e.g., 'cantine', 'coffe bar', 'Morever', 'un changed'). The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'remodeling' and 'atmosphere', but word choices are sometimes inappropriate for an academic task, leaning too heavily on informal or subjective adjectives like 'fancy' and 'elegant'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical accuracy is quite low. There are frequent errors in verb tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and article usage (e.g., 'Kitchen is now looks less messy', 'barbecue setup also included changed', 'a option', 'remain un changed'). Punctuation is also erratic in places. These errors frequently distract the reader, though they do not completely impede overall comprehension.

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

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