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 image displays different aspects of a college cafe before and after its redesign. Showing its different sights and how its internior is managed.

Overall, the cafe earlier was a bit small in area as compared to today having a kitchen, a dining staff room along with table and chairs with an area reserved for the Toilets and the bin. In comparison, the cafe today shows a wider area then the earlier one and also had several new addition as the Barbecue area etc.

The older cafe design was small and was developed to meet the major requirements such as to properly utilize the space and include all the important features for a better hygenic environment. The northern side of the cafe at the top had a kitchen along with a serving area where all the food and drinks were served, just below the kitchen, there were the staff dining rooms having access to the bin and the Toilets.

Meanwhile the newer architecture was quite large in area and had several new things such as the kitchen which was at the top north had now a Hot meals area. Also, the area below was modified and now had a salad and a coffee bar with an option to take away the food. Another area which as outdoor was reservered for Barbecue so the customers can enjoy in a fresh environment while being seated outside.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the two plans, highlighting the layout of the college cafe before and after the redesign. The student attempts to make comparisons, noting changes such as the addition of the outdoor seating area, the barbecue, the salad and coffee bars, and the modification of the kitchen and take-away sections. However, there are some inaccuracies and irrelevant generalizations. For instance, the text claims that the older cafe was developed to 'meet major requirements such as ... a better hygenic environment,' which is speculative interpretation rather than objective reporting from the visual data. Furthermore, the overview is somewhat vague. Overall, it addresses the main components of the prompt but lacks the precision expected at higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the old and new layouts. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'In comparison,' 'Meanwhile,' and 'Also.' However, paragraphing is somewhat erratic in the beginning, with the opening consisting of two very short, fragmented sentences. Progression is generally logical, but the internal structuring of sentences occasionally leads to a mechanical feel. Referencing is mostly clear, though some transitional links feel slightly repetitive or awkward. The overall arrangement is coherent enough to guide the reader through the comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, incorporating terms like 'redesign,' 'architecture,' 'modified,' and 'reservered.' There are several lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as 'internior' (interior), 'dining staff room' (staff dining rooms), and 'reservered' (reserved). Spelling mistakes like 'hygenic' (hygienic) also appear. While the student attempts less common vocabulary, inaccuracies in word formation and collocation prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are instances of effective complex forms, such as 'The older cafe design was small and was developed to meet the major requirements such as to properly utilize the space.' However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies, missing prepositions, and incorrect punctuation. Examples include 'Showing its different sights and how its internior is managed' (fragment), 'the cafe today shows a wider area then the earlier one' (than), and 'Another area which as outdoor was reservered' (which was outdoors was reserved). These errors occasionally require the reader to re-read but do not completely impede communication.

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.