Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-21

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 6.5)

The two plans show how a café was redesigned and renovated. Overall, the café underwent several significant changes, including the addition of a salad bar, barbecue area, outdoor seating and a coffee bar. The kitchen remained in the same location, while several other facilities were relocated or replaced.

Before the renovation, the kitchen was situated in the upper-left corner, with a serving area for food and drinks directly below it. In the centre of the café, there were tables and chairs, while two staff dining rooms were located towards the right. A bin was positioned near the right-hand entrance, and the toilets were in the bottom-right corner.

After the renovation, the kitchen remained unchanged, but the former serving area was converted into a hot-meals section. The two staff dining rooms were replaced by a takeaway-food area and a coffee bar. A salad bar was also added on the left-hand side of the main seating area. The toilets remained in the bottom-right corner, although the facilities around this area were reorganised.

The most noticeable change was the addition of an outdoor seating area along the bottom of the café. This area contains several tables and chairs and is accessible through new doors. A barbecue area was also introduced on the left, while additional access points were created around the renovated outdoor section.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student provides a clear, well-structured overview of the changes shown in the two maps, successfully highlighting the main features such as the retention of the kitchen, the conversion of staff rooms into a takeaway and coffee bar, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue area. All parts of the prompt are covered adequately, and comparisons are made where relevant. The response accurately reflects the visual data provided in the prompt without major omissions or factual errors, demonstrating a solid grasp of Task Achievement requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression from an introductory overview to detailed descriptions of the 'before' and 'after' states, concluding with the most noticeable changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in developing the description. Cohesive devices such as 'Before the renovation', 'After the renovation', and 'while' are used effectively to guide the reader through the spatial changes. Referencing is clear throughout, contributing to an overall coherent piece of writing that fits the requirements of Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using functional descriptive terms such as 'underwent several significant changes', 'relocated or replaced', 'reorganized', and 'accessible'. Word choices are generally precise and appropriate for an academic report describing spatial changes. There are no major lexical errors that impede communication, and the writer shows good awareness of collocation and style, which comfortably places this response in the Band 7 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer uses a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as introductory prepositional phrases ('Before the renovation, the kitchen was situated...') and subordinate clauses ('while several other facilities were relocated...'). Grammatical control is strong, with a high proportion of error-free sentences. Punctuation and tense consistency are well maintained throughout the past-tense description. Minor imperfections do not detract from the overall clarity, justifying a Band 7.5 or solid 7.0 score.

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

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