Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28

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 two maps illustrate how college cafe looks before and after refurbished.

Overall, the college cafe has undergone significant changes, with many original features being removed and replaced. Serving area for all types of food and drink replaced by hot meals, and amny other facilities have been added in the central area, including take away food facilities, coffee bar and salad bar added, while bin and toilets remains unchanged.

Before redesigned, there was a a space in the kitchen for serving food and drinks replaced by a hot meals area. There are many changes in the in the central of cafe, the rooms fixed for staff dining are replaced by take away food and a coffee bar, there was a salad bar added on northern side of the cafe. Moreover, the recycling bins, toilets and area for table and chairs remains unchnaged.

Outside of the cafe, more facilities avaliable after redesigned, including outdoor seating area that contains table in the center and surrounded by chairs. Furthermore, a barbecue area also provided on the north corner of cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by describing the main changes shown in the two maps of the college cafe. An overview is provided, noting that significant changes took place, such as the replacement of original features. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in reading the visual data, particularly regarding spatial orientation. For instance, the student states that the salad bar was added on the 'northern side' of the cafe, whereas the transcription and visual data show it along the western wall. Additionally, the barbecue is placed on the 'north corner', whereas it is located to the south-west. Furthermore, the phrasing is sometimes repetitive and contradictory, such as stating that features were removed while also mentioning they remain unchanged. These limitations place the response at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into four paragraphs, which provides a basic structure representing an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing the changes. Cohesive devices are attempted, such as 'Overall', 'Before redesigned', and 'Furthermore', but their usage is sometimes clumsy or inaccurate. Paragraphing logic is affected by disjointed sentences and repetition. For example, the third paragraph redundantly revisits details already mentioned or garbled in the second paragraph. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as shifting between past and present tenses abruptly within the same descriptions. Overall, the organization shows an attempt at progression, but cohesion is mechanical and faulty, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for conveying basic ideas about the layout changes, but it lacks precision and range. The student employs common terms like 'cafe', 'kitchen', 'tables', and 'chairs', alongside attempts at less common vocabulary such as 'refurbished', 'significant changes', and 'recycling bins'. However, there are multiple word choice and word formation errors, such as 'before redesigned' instead of 'before being redesigned' and 'amny' instead of 'many'. Repetition of basic phrasing is evident throughout the text (e.g., repeating 'take away food and a coffee bar'). These lexical limitations and errors indicate a Band 5.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and awkward passive or active constructions. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies and missing auxiliary verbs or prepositions. Examples include 'how college cafe looks', 'Serving area... replaced by hot meals' (missing verb), 'there was a a space', 'the rooms fixed for staff dining are replaced', and 'more facilities avaliable after redesigned'. Punctuation is basic, and sentence boundaries are sometimes blurred. These persistent errors frequently cause strain for the reader and prevent the text from reaching a higher band, aligning best with Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0.

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

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