Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

In first image, cafe before redesign was quite unarranged there was a kitchen in the end cornner of the kitchen and in the front side of kitchen there was a serving area from where people get their food. After that in the center of sitting area there was a staff room. At the left side of enterance there was a bin and toilets.

In second image, cafe after redesigning is looking quite managed and well arranged. Kitchen is at the same place however the serving are changed into hot meals, while at the place of staff dining room one of them converted into coffee bar and other is in take food away. However, bin, sitting area and toilets are at the same place. Some other additions included salad bar and outside barbecue are with outside sitting.

The cafe after renovation is more spacious than before and looks like an expensive place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main features of the before and after plans of the college cafe. While some key changes are mentioned, such as the replacement of the staff dining rooms with a coffee bar and take away food area, and the addition of a salad bar and outdoor seating with a barbecue, the response suffers from inaccuracies and omissions. For instance, the location of the original kitchen and serving area is described confusingly as 'in the end cornner of the kitchen'. Furthermore, the inclusion of subjective personal interpretations at the end ('looks like an expensive place') detracts from the objective tone required for an academic task. Overall, the task is addressed only partially, warranting a band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into three short paragraphs, attempting an introductory overview, a body comparison, and a concluding remark. However, logical progression is weak due to abrupt transitions and confusing spatial references, such as 'In first image' and 'After that in the center of sitting area'. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive ('In first image', 'In second image', 'However'), and sometimes misused, as seen with multiple consecutive uses of 'However'. Paragraphing is attempted but lacks strong internal cohesion to guide the reader smoothly through the spatial changes depicted in the plans.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple terms like 'place', 'area', 'room', and 'image'. There are notable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'unarranged', 'cornner', 'enterance', 'managed', and 'take food away' instead of 'take-away food'. While the student attempts some less common vocabulary related to the prompt (e.g., 'redesign', 'renovation', 'spacious'), the execution is hindered by frequent inaccuracies and awkward collocations that occasionally impede smooth communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, relying mostly on simple and flawed complex sentences. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement, prepositions, and article usage, such as 'In first image', 'the serving are changed', and 'barbecue are with outside sitting'. Punctuation is also neglected, with missing commas and run-on structures. Although some sentences are understandable, errors occur frequently and can cause difficulty or confusion for the reader, placing this response at band 5.0.

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

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