Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The diagram illustrates the information about the previous structure and the structure after revonation of a college cafe.

Overview, several alterations took place in the modernisation of the cafe where a salad bar is added and numerous things are remained same as old design.

After analysing, it can be clearly seen that a salad bar is constructed in left hand side, whereas serving area is converted into hot meal centre. In the south-west direction a barbecue is built along with the outdoor seating area which has a entry and a exist door in both sides. Tables and chairs remained similar as old structure.

Moving further towards the remaining data, staff dining rooms in north direction are converted into take away food and coffee bar. Bins in right hand side upgraded into recycle bins, while the kitchen in the north direction and toilets in the south-east direction are same in both designs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The candidate manages to address the main features of the two plans, noting key transformations such as the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, barbecue area, and the conversion of the staff dining rooms into a takeaway and coffee bar. However, the overview is extremely brief and awkwardly phrased ('Overview, several alterations took place...'), and some details are slightly inaccurate or incomplete (e.g., describing the outdoor seating as having an entry and exit door on both sides). While the response satisfies the minimum word count, the development of ideas is limited and borders on a Band 5 or 6 level due to minor omissions and an underdeveloped overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is structured into four paragraphs, including a brief introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. There is an attempt to logically sequence the spatial changes, using cohesive transitions like 'After analysing', 'Moving further towards', and 'whereas'. However, paragraphing is poorly handled—the overview is awkwardly combined into a single sentence starting with 'Overview,' rather than standing as a distinct introductory summary. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly applied, resulting in a lack of smooth progression between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common collocations related to diagrams and renovations, such as 'modernisation', 'alterations', and 'constructed'. However, there are notable lexical and spelling errors, such as 'revonation' instead of renovation, and awkward phrasing like 'hot meal centre' instead of hot meals counter. Vocabulary is repetitive in places, and control over word choice is inconsistent, placing it firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are often faulty or unnatural, such as '...where a salad bar is added and numerous things are remained same as old design.' There are frequent grammatical errors, including incorrect passive voice usage ('are remained same'), missing articles ('in left hand side', 'in north direction'), and prepositional errors. While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they occur frequently enough to impede fluency and prevent the score from reaching Band 6.

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

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