Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22
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)
The two diagrams show the before and after design of college cafe. First diagram is of old design,having few facilities, while the new cafe design is rich in facilities.
Old cafe design was having few numbers of facilities including kitchen with a serving area, bin near the entrance door, staff dining rooms, toilets and a vast area for tables and chairs in the middle of it.
The new cafe design has more facilities. Now recycling bin is large in size from the previous one, toilet area is same, In place of staff dining rooms, now coffee bar and take away food section is made. In the kitchen, serving area is replaced with hot meals section. In the hall, salad bar section is added. Outside of the cafe, now outdoor sitting is made having the barbecue facility. The outdoor and indoor section is joined via door that is near to toilets area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The candidate attempts to cover the main features of the before and after plans of the college cafe, noting the addition of a salad bar, outdoor seating, a barbecue, and the conversion of staff dining rooms into a coffee bar and take-away food section. However, the response lacks a clear, cohesive overview of the overall changes, which is a key requirement for Academic Task 1. Furthermore, some details are slightly inaccurate or vague, such as stating that the recycling bin is 'large in size from the previous one' rather than relocated and upgraded to recycling bins. The summary remains rather basic and lists features rather than synthesising comparisons effectively, placing it at a Band 5.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is structured into an introduction, a paragraph detailing the old design, and a paragraph describing the current layout. However, paragraphing and overall logical progression are weak. The second body paragraph jumps somewhat randomly between various parts of the map without clear spatial markers or logical grouping. Cohesive devices are repetitive and basic (e.g., 'First diagram', 'Old cafe design', 'The new cafe design'). Referencing is occasionally confusing, such as 'that is near to toilets area'. Overall, the organization shows some basic arrangement but lacks smooth transitions and clear progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive throughout the response (e.g., repeating 'design', 'facilities', and 'area' multiple times). There are noticeable lexical limitations and unnatural collocations, such as 'rich in facilities', 'few numbers of facilities', and 'outdoor sitting'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but word choice lacks the precision and flexibility expected for higher bands. The lexical range is minimally adequate for communicating the basic features of the maps, earning a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic subject-verb-object patterns (e.g., 'The new cafe design has more facilities.'). Attempts at slightly more complex structures often contain grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'having few facilities, while the new cafe design is rich in facilities' and 'now recycling bin is large in size from the previous one'. Punctuation and article usage are also inconsistent (e.g., missing articles before nouns like 'kitchen', 'cafe', and 'toilet area'). Errors are frequent enough to cause some distraction for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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