Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The diagram displays the college cafe before it was redesigned and now how it looks like.

Begins with a slight changes in kitchen which is on the left corner, the serving area for all food and drinks turned out to be the hot meals area. Whereas, an addition of salad bar is near the kitchen. A considerable change in the dining rooms for staff. Those are replaced with food take away and coffee bar. In addition, tables and chairs are arranged in the same manner as before.

A minor change in the bin area where it replaced and turned out as recycling bin. Toilets kept at the same place as before.

Additionally, two doors can be seen in the new cafe where we can enter the outdoor sitting area or to get access to the barbecue area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response covers several key changes between the two plans, such as the transformation of the staff dining rooms into a take-away food counter and coffee bar, the addition of a salad bar, and the introduction of outdoor seating and a barbecue. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word length requirement of 150 words, coming in at 137 words. Furthermore, there is no overall summary statement provided to give a clear overview of the main spatial trends, which is an essential feature of a successful Academic Task 1 response. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, leading to a score of 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is organized into short paragraphs that attempt to group related changes together, such as the kitchen and dining area alterations in the second paragraph and the outdoor additions at the end. However, the overall organizational structure lacks clear progression and a cohesive overview. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes awkward, as seen with the fragment 'Begins with a slight changes...' at the start of the second paragraph. Paragraphing is also somewhat choppy and fails to guide the reader smoothly through the spatial comparison. These shortcomings place the response firmly in Band 5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic description, utilizing terms like 'redesigned', 'serving area', 'salad bar', and 'recycling bin'. However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable word choice and collocation issues, such as 'now how it looks like' and 'food take away' instead of 'take-away food'. Attempts to use more descriptive language result in unnatural phrasing like 'turned out to be the hot meals area'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic meaning, the frequency of lexical inaccuracies restricts the score to a 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and fragmentary clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, such as missing subjects and incorrect verb forms ('Begins with a slight changes', 'where it replaced and turned out as recycling bin', 'outdoor sitting area' instead of 'outdoor seating'). Clauses are often awkwardly joined or left incomplete, which occasionally causes difficulty for the reader. Due to the frequent errors and lack of complex structure control, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.