Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29
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 4.5)
The map illustrates a college cafe designed how it looks now and how it was before. It consist of kitchen where cook make hot meals and tables and chairs which is easy accessible for take away food and nearby coffe bar and inside the building toilets must be convient and outdoor seating.
Overall, the college cafe before redesign it were only kitchen for serving all kinds of foods and drink and inside the cafe one staff dinning rooms and few tables and chairs spaces were available and in the south west is toilets for individuals and nearby a toilet.
On the other hand, the college cafe now have a proper wide space kitchen for serving foods and hot meals. Further, inside the building east side rectangular salad bar and in the south side next to it kitchen tables and chairs which is convient for take away and coffee bar and toilets and wastage trash is similar to old design.
Moreover, outside building now have barbecue in the left side and having a fewer seatings for the outdoor views.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response attempts to describe the changes to the college cafe, identifying several key features such as the kitchen, tables, toilets, and the new outdoor seating and barbecue area. However, the information is communicated with significant confusion and inaccuracies regarding the spatial layout and features. For instance, the student states that the toilets are in the south-west and nearby a toilet, and mischaracterises the former staff dining rooms and new takeaway/coffee bar areas. While an overall trend is attempted, the lack of clarity and misread details mean the response only partially addresses the task requirements. This corresponds to a Band 5 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
The response is structured into four paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs for the past and present layouts. However, paragraphing and logical progression are frequently undermined by poor linking and confusing sentence structures. Cohesive devices are either missing or misused, such as the abrupt transitions ('On the other hand', 'Moreover') which do not accurately reflect contrasting relationships between the map features. Referencing is often unclear (e.g., 'wastage trash is similar to old design'), making it difficult to follow the progression of information. This places the response firmly in Band 4.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple terms directly lifted from the prompt or visual data, such as 'kitchen', 'tables and chairs', 'toilets', and 'outdoor seating'. There are numerous word choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'wastage trash', 'wide space kitchen', and 'fewer seatings'. Less common vocabulary is attempted but used inaccurately, and frequent errors in spelling and word formation restrict communication and cause strain for the reader. This meets the criteria for Band 4.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, with frequent attempts at complex sentences resulting in broken syntax and ungrammatical constructions (e.g., 'It consist of kitchen where cook make hot meals and tables and chairs which is easy accessible...'). Simple sentences are often fragmented or lack essential components like verbs and subjects. Errors in subject-verb agreement ('it were only kitchen', 'cafe now have'), missing articles, and incorrect prepositions are pervasive throughout the text and frequently obscure the intended meaning. This reflects a Band 4 level of grammatical accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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