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, whereas. the indoor seating area remains in the same place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task by comparing the layout of the college café before and after the redesign. Key spatial changes are reported, such as the conversion of the staff dining rooms into a coffee bar and takeaway food area, the addition of a salad bar, outdoor seating, and a barbecue area. However, the response relies heavily on a repetitive, step-by-step navigational listing approach rather than a synthesized overview of the main trends. The introductory sentences are overly repetitive ('the diagram shows the renovation of the college café...'). Additionally, there is a minor mechanical error in reading the map: the barbecue is located to the south-west outside, but the student states it is 'in the north'. Overall, the task is addressed, but the lack of a strong overarching summary and the somewhat mechanical reporting place this in the Band 6 territory.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognizable overall arrangement, moving logically from the past layout to the present layout. However, paragraphing is poorly managed; the entire text is presented as one single block of text rather than being divided into a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs, which negatively impacts visual organization. Cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., the excessive use of 'On the north side', 'On the eastern side', 'As you enter'). Reference pronouns and substitutions are occasionally imprecise, and the trailing fragment at the end ('whereas. the indoor seating area') disrupts the flow. These issues align with a Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptor, with the single-paragraph structure being a key limiting factor.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to communicate basic information about the maps, utilizing task-specific terms such as 'renovation', 'cafeteria', 'takeaway food area', and 'outdoor seating'. However, the lexical range is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying on basic functional verbs like 'is located' and 'situated' repeatedly throughout the response. There are also occasional awkward collocations or lexical inaccuracies, such as referring to the barbecue as a 'barbecue stall'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, the lack of sophisticated or varied vocabulary prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. This represents a solid Band 6 performance for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional-style introductory clauses ('when you enter the café, tables and chairs are situated there'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation flaws, notably a sentence fragment and a stray punctuation mark ('whereas. the indoor seating area remains in the same place'). Prepositional and article usage is occasionally awkward or missing. Nevertheless, many simple sentences are grammatically accurate, and the errors only rarely impede comprehension. This mix of error-free simple structures alongside flawed complex attempts warrants a Band 6.

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

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