Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
the given chart depicts the changes made in a college cafe before redesign and the cafe today
to begin with ,the college cafe before redesign shows the cafe kitchen at the corner and a serving area opposite toh the kitchen .the college cafe qlso had a spacious arrangement of tables and chairs.in addition,the cafe also provided an individual staff dining room ,furthermore the recycling bins was also their in opposite of the kithchen at the right corner,besides which toilets were their
At present the college cafe offers more amenities then before .in place of serving area they provided a seperate section for serving hot meals ,apart from that ,in place of staff dining rooms they made 2 partitions ,one for 1 for take away of food and another for coffee bar,they also build a salad bar which is opposite to the kitchen on the left side and also a barbecue area ,beside the college cafe also made a aotdoor searing area for student and staff
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 student attempts to address the task by comparing the two maps of the college cafe before and after the redesign. Key changes, such as the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, barbecue area, and the conversion of staff dining rooms into a take-away food counter and coffee bar, are correctly identified. However, the report lacks a clear overall summary or overview of the main trends. Furthermore, there are some minor descriptive inaccuracies regarding the initial layout, such as mislocating the bins and confusing the original serving area details. The response meets the minimum length requirement, but the lack of a structured overview and some minor spatial inaccuracies restrict the score to a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text suffers from poor mechanical formatting, particularly a complete lack of proper capitalization and erratic spacing around punctuation marks (e.g., 'to begin with ,the college cafe'). Paragraphing is extremely weak, with the entire response squeezed into just two poorly structured blocks rather than a logical introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive, and at times unnatural or misused (e.g., 'besides which toilets were their', 'besides the college cafe also made'). Progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, which disrupts the flow of reading. Although the overall layout of the two maps is addressed, the weak paragraphing and mechanical cohesion keep this criterion at Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a limited range of vocabulary that is minimally adequate for the task. Basic terms related to the visual data are used repeatedly, such as 'cafe', 'kitchen', 'tables and chairs', and 'serving area'. There are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, including 'qlso' instead of also, 'toh' instead of to, 'qlo' variants, 'aotdoor searing' instead of outdoor seating, and 'seperate'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are either inaccurate or marred by spelling errors. While the meaning remains generally understandable, the lexical limitations and mechanical errors place this at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and repetitive clauses strung together with coordinating conjunctions. Complex structures are attempted but are frequently faulty or awkwardly phrased (e.g., 'in place of staff dining rooms they made 2 partitions ,one for 1 for take away of food and another for coffee bar'). Punctuation and capitalization are poorly controlled, with numerous comma splices, missing capital letters at the beginning of sentences, and missing terminal punctuation. Frequent errors in grammar and mechanics cause some distraction for the reader, justifying a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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