Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23
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 map illustrates a plan of a college cafe before and after redesign.
Overall, the image reveals significant changes occured after the renovation of the cafe. A major change was the outdoor seatings and barbeque were introduced, while toilets, kitchen and tables and chairs remained unchanged.
staff dining rooms are replaced by two segments take away food and coffee bar. Bin area got replaced and expanded into recycling bins. The serving area for ( all food and drinks) has changed into hot meals. A new meal section is introduced as salad bar.
On the other hand, the spacious outdoor seating and barbeque are established. Meanwhile, in interior arrangement of tables and chairs are similar to the previous plan. Moreover, toilets are also at the same place. Kitchen also remained unchanged and is at the same area. Therefore, there are some changes cafe just expanded its area and introduced some cuisines.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student covers the main features of the two plans, noting key changes such as the introduction of the outdoor seating, barbecue, and salad bar, as well as the replacement of the staff dining rooms with a takeaway food and coffee bar. However, the response lacks a fully developed overview and contains minor inaccuracies regarding what remained unchanged (for instance, the serving area changed into hot meals, and the bin was replaced). The reporting of data is generally accurate, but the lack of a clear, synthesised summary prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Overall, it addresses the main parts of the task satisfactorily, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into multiple paragraphs, but the paragraphing is somewhat disjointed and abrupt (e.g., separating related indoor changes across paragraphs). Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes repetitive or mechanically applied, such as the frequent use of 'On the other hand' and 'Meanwhile'. Progression is visible as the student moves from a general introduction to specific spatial changes, but the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disrupted by awkward transitions. Referencing is generally clear, but overall cohesion could be significantly improved with smoother linking phrases and better grouping of information. This aligns with the Band 6 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully employing terms like 'renovation', 'segment', 'spacious', and 'cuisines'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'significant changes occured' (spelling/form), 'outdoor seatings' (incorrect pluralisation of an uncountable noun), and 'in interior arrangement' (grammatical mismatch). Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success. While communication is not impeded, the repetition of basic verbs like 'introduced', 'replaced', and 'remained' limits the lexical score to a solid Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'A major change was the outdoor seatings and barbeque were introduced' and 'Meanwhile, in interior arrangement of tables and chairs are similar to the previous plan.' However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several structural errors, including missing prepositions, incorrect subject-verb agreement ('changes occured', 'in interior arrangement... are'), and awkward phrasing. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips frequently occur. Because errors persist and sometimes strain clarity, the response fits the Band 5.5 profile closely.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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