Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30
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 map illustrates information regarding cafe design and how it looks after several changes happen.
Overall, several facilities have introduced in redesign cafe with many mordern facilities where people can enjoy meals
To begin with, before the cafe redesign there were only few facilities, where kitchen and serving area were at north-west corner and staff dining rooms and table and chairs in the center of the cafe, while bin and toilets were in the south-east corner.
After the redesign of cafe, serving area, staff dinning rooms and bin replaced by hot meals, take away food, coffee bar, and recycling bins while, tables and chairs remined at the same place. On the other hand, new area was introduce in the south with many new facilities like salad bar, Barbecue and outdoor seating area where individuals can enjoy food.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student has attempted to summarise the main changes shown in the plans of the college cafe, identifying key transformations such as the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, and changes to the serving and dining areas. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it contains only 137 words. Furthermore, some descriptions lack precision, and the overview is somewhat simplistic. To improve, the student should ensure all necessary details are fully developed and strictly adhere to the required word count.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing the before and after states. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'while', and 'On the other hand' are employed to guide the reader through the comparisons. However, referencing is sometimes mechanical, and paragraphing could be structured more effectively. Progression is visible, but the abrupt ending due to length constraints slightly affects overall cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with appropriate spatial and architectural terms such as 'north-west corner', 'serving area', and 'outdoor seating'. There are, however, several lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'redesign cafe' instead of 'redesigned cafe', 'mordern' instead of 'modern', 'remined' instead of 'remained', and 'dinning' instead of 'dining'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary but lacks precise control over word forms and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and prepositional phrases ('where kitchen and serving area were...'). Grammatical control is inconsistent, with noticeable errors including missing articles ('redesign cafe', 'new area was introduce'), incorrect verb forms ('facilities have introduced', 'changes happen'), and preposition errors. These errors occasionally disrupt the flow, but communication of the main ideas is generally maintained.
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