Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The plans compare a college cafe layout before and after its renovation.
Overall, it is evident that there are significant changes in the structure of cafe after redevelopment. Major changes are converting staff dining rooms into takeaway food and coffee bar, and development of barbecue and outdoor seating plan.
There was a staff dining room in the Northern of the cafe which is converted into two section take away food and coffee bar after redesign. There was kitchen with large occupied area in the left corner of North had serving area for all drinks and foods, then it was changed into hot meals after rearrangement of the cafe. The structure of toilets and the location of tables and chairs remain unchanged, whereas the bin is replaced with the recycling bins with larger area than precious.
Most noticeable change is that there new addition of barbecue and large outdoor seating plan with entrance and exit door in the Southern of the cafe. Furthermore, the salad bar is also constructed during renovation.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by comparing the layout of the college cafe before and after the renovation. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the major transformations such as the conversion of the staff dining rooms and the addition of outdoor areas. Key features are selected and reported accurately, including the kitchen changes, the new takeaway food and coffee bar sections, the salad bar, the barbecue area, and the outdoor seating. The information is grounded in the visual data, and comparisons are made where relevant, fulfilling the requirements for Band 7.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay has a clear overall progression and logical organization. It begins with a general introduction, moves into an overview, and then details specific changes across the layout. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed with reasonable flexibility, such as 'whereas' and 'furthermore'. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly mechanical or abrupt (e.g., 'then it was changed into hot meals'), which keeps the score at a solid Band 6.5 to 7. Overall, the flow is logical and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms like 'renovation', 'redevelopment', 'layout', and 'rearrangement'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some awkward phrasing and word choices occur, such as 'development of barbecue and outdoor seating plan' or 'with larger area than precious' (likely meaning previous). Despite these occasional slips and minor lexical inaccuracies, communication is not impeded, satisfying the criteria for Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several successful complex sentences, such as 'Major changes are converting staff dining rooms into takeaway food and coffee bar...'. However, grammatical errors are noticeable throughout the text, including missing articles ('in the Northern of the cafe', 'there new addition') and awkward prepositional usage ('in the left corner of North'). While these errors do not impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of consistent control over complex structures, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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