Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-27
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 image reflects the layout of a university's cafe both before and after transformation.
Overall, the new infrastructure of a cafeteria has been taken place by expanding the area facilitated.
First of all, it is evident that priorly serving area is now only dealing with hot foods, whereas the seating space for teachers and workers have now been replaced by counters for take away meals and coffee bar respectively. Additionally, a lucrative option have been added for diet-conscious consumers named as salad bar. The restrooms remained same, although, bins have been upgraded with wider recycling room.
However, the main area for kitchen, older tables, and chairs were nearly there as it was before the remodel. To incoporate more clients, more dine-in seats are currently available outdoors, which can be accessed via two gates. One of these gates is the shortest way to reach out for barbecue. Therefore, with wholesome view the cafe is presently accessible from four entrances.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The candidate attempts to summarise the main features of the two plans, noting key changes such as the transformation of the staff dining rooms into a take-away area and coffee bar, the addition of a salad bar, and the introduction of outdoor seating and a barbecue. However, the overview sentence ("the new infrastructure of a cafeteria has been taken place by expanding the area facilitated") is extremely unclear and fails to provide a coherent summary of the overall trends. Furthermore, some details are inaccurate or awkward, such as stating that the serving area is "now only dealing with hot foods" when the plan indicates specific hot meal counters, and describing the bins as being upgraded to a "wider recycling room". While the main features are touched upon, the lack of a clear, precise overview and some misread details keep this response at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay is organised into three paragraphs, including an introduction, a body paragraph, and a concluding body paragraph. However, the logical progression is hindered by confusing transitional phrases and awkward phrasing like "First of all, it is evident that priorly serving area" and "Therefore, with wholesome view the cafe is presently accessible". Cohesive devices are attempted, but referencing and linking are frequently mechanical or inaccurate (e.g., "older tables, and chairs were nearly there as it was before the remodel"). Paragraphing is present, but the internal flow of ideas is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial comparisons smoothly. This performance aligns best with Band 5.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, with several unnatural collocations and word choice errors. Examples include "infrastructure of a cafeteria has been taken place", "priorly serving area", "lucrative option" (used incorrectly to describe a salad bar), and "wider recycling room". While the candidate attempts some less common vocabulary items, inaccurate word choice and awkward phrasing impede clarity in several places (e.g., "area facilitated" and "shortest way to reach out for barbecue"). The range is limited and minimally adequate for the task, which corresponds to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text displays a very limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences frequently result in grammatical errors. Noticeable errors include passive voice misuse ("has been taken place"), missing articles ("priorly serving area"), subject-verb agreement issues ("option have been added"), and spelling/word errors ("incoporate"). Frequent errors in grammar and punctuation cause some difficulty for the reader and obscure the precise spatial relationships being described. There are very few error-free sentences, placing this performance firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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