Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The two plans illustrate the changes that took place in design of college cafe.
Overall, the area became considerably more developed, with defferent counters for type of food and extend seating by outdoor tables and chairs. However basic structure, kitchen and toilets are unchanged.
Before redesign, entry and exit was at east side of cafe. Kitchen and serving area for all food and drink were at north corner of cafe. Next to serving area, there were two rooms for staff dining with circular table and chairs. In middle of cafe, there were tables and chairs with toilets on south-east corner and bin at east side of the cafe.
After redesign, major change is increase in seating with outdoor tables with Barbwcue counter at the south of cafe with additional access of cafe from that side. Different type of food and drinks are now served at different location instead at one serving area near kitchen, hot meals near kitchen, salad from west side of the cafe. Furthermore, stafft dining room is replaced by take away food and coffee bar. Additionaly, bin is enlarged and converted into recycling bins. However, toilets and kitchen are unchaged.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making clear comparisons between the two plans. An overview is provided, highlighting the main developments such as the expansion of seating, the reorganization of food counters, and the unchanged core structures like the kitchen and toilets. Key details, such as the addition of the outdoor seating area, the barbecue counter, and the replacement of staff dining rooms with a coffee bar and take-away counter, are accurately reported. However, there are minor omissions and slight inaccuracies in spatial references (e.g., locating the barbecue at the south rather than south-west). Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of Task 1 well, earning a band score of 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory sentence, followed by an overview paragraph, a description of the past layout, and finally the present layout. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different temporal aspects of the visual data. Cohesive devices are generally well-managed, using phrases like 'Before redesign,' 'After redesign,' and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader through the comparison. However, some referencing is slightly mechanical and logical transitions could be smoother in places. Overall cohesion is satisfactory and supports the clarity of the report, meriting a band score of 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items related to architectural changes and campus facilities, such as 'redesigned,' 'recycling bins,' and 'take away food.' However, there are several spelling errors (e.g., 'defferent' for different, 'extend' for extended, 'Barbwcue' for Barbecue, 'stafft' for staff, 'Additionaly' for Additionally, 'unchaged' for unchanged) and minor word-choice inaccuracies. While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the lexical score to a band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating past and present tenses correctly to contrast the two time periods (e.g., 'The two plans illustrate...', 'Before redesign, entry and exit was...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles (e.g., 'in design of college cafe', 'at east side') and prepositions. While these errors occur regularly, they are non-systematic and rarely impede overall communication. The grammatical control aligns well with the band 6.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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