Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-26

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)

In the picture, we can see the previous design and new design of a college cafe. There are some major changes that happen in the new design.

Firstly, if we see on the kitchen and serving side before re-designing, all of the food and drinks was served from one place that is infront of the kitchen. there were no outside sitting area and also the bin was not a recycled one.

After re-designing, the staff dining room is replaced by take away food and a coffee bar. Moreover, we can see a separate salad bar on the front wall. In addition, barbecue section is added on outside so it'll not cause any problem for customers. the bins are also replaced by recycled bins which makes the envirnoment clean and green. Outdoor sitting will allow customers to enjoy weather and having open space. Although the kitchen remains on ts position, there is no change in the kicten area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student attempts to address the task by comparing the past and present layouts of the college cafe. Major changes are mentioned, such as the replacement of the staff dining rooms with a takeaway food area and coffee bar, the addition of a salad bar, and the introduction of an outdoor seating and barbecue area. However, the response suffers from some inaccuracies and speculation not present in the diagrams, such as stating that the barbecue is added so 'it'll not cause any problem for customers' and that outdoor seating will allow customers to 'enjoy weather'. Furthermore, the overview is rather informal and lacks a clear summary of the overall spatial transformation. This performance aligns with Band 5.5 descriptors, as the task is addressed only partially with some under-developed and speculative ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is structured into short paragraphs, starting with a basic introduction and moving through specific comparisons. Cohesive devices are attempted using words like 'Firstly', 'After re-designing', 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'Although', but their use is sometimes mechanical or imprecise (e.g., 'if we see on the kitchen'). Paragraphing is initiated, but the paragraphs are very brief and lack a cohesive flow that guides the reader smoothly through the spatial comparison. Progression is somewhat disjointed rather than fully logical. This corresponds to a Band 5.0 score, where organization is present but lacks clear overall progression and cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate or repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple terms like 'design', 'food', 'area', and 'place'. There are noticeable word choice errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'recycled bins', 'outside sitting area', 'front wall', and 'barbecue section is added on outside'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to the prompt (e.g., 'redesigned', 'take away', 'recycling bins'), but spelling and collocation errors persist ('envirnoment', 'ts position', 'kicten'). This reflects a Band 5.0 level, characterised by a limited range of vocabulary with noticeable errors that occasionally cause difficulty or appear repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but attempts at complex sentences frequently contain errors in grammar, agreement, or punctuation. Examples of errors include tense usage ('changes that happen'), prepositional errors ('on the kitchen', 'on outside'), missing articles ('is replaced by take away food'), and spelling slips ('envirnoment', 'kicten'). Capitalization and punctuation are also erratic in places. While simple structures are generally understandable, the frequency of grammatical inaccuracies places this response at a Band 5.0, where a limited range of structures is used and frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader.

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

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