Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the renovation of a college café from the past to the present. Overall, the diagram shows the renovation of the college café and the new additions made to the cafeteria. The visuals describe the differences before and after the redesign. Firstly, when you enter the café, tables and chairs are situated there. On the east side, toilets are located, and a bin is situated in front of the toilets. On the north side of the door, the staff dining room is located. On the western side, a door is located which provides access to the kitchen situated on the north side of the door, and the serving area for food and beverages is located on the western side of the door. After the modifications, there are several entry and exit points located in the cafeteria. As you enter the café from the eastern side, the bins and toilets remain in their previous places. The staff dining room has been redesigned into a coffee bar and takeaway food area just adjacent to the coffee shop. The kitchen and serving area remain the same. In front of the kitchen door, a salad bar is located, and adjacent to the toilet is a door that leads to the outdoor seating. In the north, a barbecue stall is located, where as the indoor seating area remains in the same place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by comparing the layout of the college café before and after its redesign. Key features are reported, such as the persistence of the kitchen and toilets, the transformation of the staff dining rooms into a coffee bar and takeaway food area, and the addition of outdoor seating, a salad bar, and a barbecue. However, the overview is extremely repetitive and lacks a synthesis of the main overall changes, and some spatial descriptions are overly detailed and conversational (e.g., 'when you enter the café'). This fits the Band 6 descriptor where all parts are addressed, but some areas lack concise development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a basic logical progression, moving from the past layout to current modifications. However, the paragraphing is poor; the entire response is lumped into just two bulky paragraphs that mix past and present details awkwardly. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes mechanical, relying heavily on consecutive prepositional phrases of place such as 'On the east side...', 'On the north side...', 'On the western side...'. Referencing is occasionally confusing, leading to a somewhat disjointed reading experience. This matches the Band 6 descriptor where there is a coherent overall arrangement, but cohesion is sometimes faulty and paragraphing is inadequate.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'renovation', 'modifications', 'cafeteria', and specific features such as 'salad bar' and 'takeaway food area'. However, there is some lexical repetition, particularly with words like 'renovation', 'located', and 'redesigned'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are generally straightforward, and occasional awkward collocations occur, such as 'barbecue stall' instead of barbecue area. Overall, the lexical range is sufficient to communicate the main points, aligning with Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and passive constructions (e.g., 'tables and chairs are situated there', 'The staff dining room has been redesigned'). There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'where as the indoor seating area remains', which contains a spelling error ('whereas') and a minor punctuation slip. However, grammar and punctuation errors do not impede communication. The control over structures is moderate, reflecting the Band 6 level.

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