Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plans illustrate a college cafe's current layout and how it was before the redesign.
Overall, there has been sustantial new facilities and few replacements in the current look. Although, the kitchen, toilets and the area for tables and chairs remain unchanged, the southern part of the cafe has been added with multiple outdoor seating amenities.
The serving area in the north-west has been replaced with hot meals room and the two previous staff dining rooms are now converted into a take away food section and a coffee bar. The recycling bin has been increased to many and a salad bar has been added on the western part of the cafe.
On the southern part of the cafee, five outdoor seatings are newly installed with a barbecue section at the front. Two exit points between the main cafe and the outdoor are present to allow the movement.
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 most of the key features of the two maps, noting the main transformations such as the conversion of the serving area into hot meals and the staff rooms into a takeaway and coffee bar, as well as the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, and barbecue area. An overview is present, summarising the primary changes. However, there are minor inaccuracies in detail, such as stating that 'five outdoor seatings' are newly installed when the plan displays four tables, and mentioning that recycling bins increased to 'many'. Furthermore, the response is slightly under the word count at 147 words, resulting in a minor task-fulfillment penalty.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organised into four paragraphs, moving from an introductory overview to specific spatial changes. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'Although', and 'On the southern part'. Paragraphing is appropriate for a short report. However, referencing is occasionally imprecise, and the progression between sentences can feel slightly mechanical. Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with attempts at less common items such as 'sustantial', 'redesign', and 'amenities'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'sustantial' instead of 'substantial', 'cafee', and the unnatural phrase 'has been added with multiple outdoor seating amenities'. These errors do not impede communication but prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as concessive clauses ('Although, the kitchen, toilets and the area for tables and chairs remain unchanged, ...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including tense inconsistencies ('how it was before') and passive voice issues ('the southern part of the cafe has been added with'). Punctuation and sentence boundary control are generally acceptable, and errors rarely impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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