Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24

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 6.5)

The maps illustrate a college cafe before redesign and its current appearance.

Overall, the cafe has undergone substantial modifications with most areas being replaced with modern amenities.

In the past, there was a kitchen at the top of the building with the serving area in proximity, which served all food and drinks. In the main area, there were only tables and chairs, which were located in the center. Furthermore, above the main area, two staff dining rooms were featured. To its right, a bin stood between the entrance to the cafe at the top and toilets at the bottom.

Currently, a few places have been replaced and some amenities have been added. The serving room has been transformed into an area which provides hot meals. As regards rooms, where staff used to eat have been converted into an area, where people can take away their food and a coffee bar. Moreover, the bin has been modernized into a recycling bin. Adjacent to it, a salad bar has been positioned. An outdoor seating area has been added in the lower part of the cafe including five tables and 26 chairs as well as a new barbeque on the right side. Meanwhile, only the kitchen, tables with chairs in the center of the building, and toilets remain unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by comparing the layout of the college cafe before and after the redesign. An adequate overview is provided, noting the substantial modifications made. Key features such as the kitchen, serving areas, and seating configurations are accurately reported. However, there are minor inaccuracies in the details; for instance, the student states that the outdoor seating includes "26 chairs" and a specific number of tables, which goes beyond the general visual information provided in the task prompt. Furthermore, the salad bar is placed along the western wall in the prompt's factual transcription, whereas the student mentions it alongside other changes without specifying its exact location, though they note its presence. Overall, the response covers the main features well and makes relevant comparisons, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory sentence defining the maps, followed by an overview paragraph, a description of the past layout, and finally the current layout. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different temporal stages. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as "In the past", "Currently", and "Meanwhile", which guide the reader smoothly through the spatial changes. However, referencing and cohesive links are occasionally mechanical or slightly repetitive (e.g., beginning multiple sentences with prepositional phrases of location). Nevertheless, the logical organization and progression are clear throughout, meeting the requirements of Band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, with appropriate use of less common items such as "substantial modifications", "transformed", "converted", and "adjacent". Word choice and collocations are generally accurate, allowing the descriptions of the architectural changes to be communicated clearly. There are occasional slight inaccuracies, such as referring to the serving room being transformed into an area that "provides hot meals" rather than a counter, but these do not impede communication. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout, supporting a solid Band 7 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively, incorporating relative clauses (e.g., "where staff used to eat have been converted into an area, where people can take away their food") and introductory adverbial clauses. There is good control of grammar and punctuation overall. While there are a few minor errors—such as a comma splice or slight awkwardness in clause structure ("As regards rooms, where staff used to eat...")—the majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical errors do not impede communication. This demonstrates a standard consistent with Band 7 descriptors.

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

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