Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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 about the plan of resigning the college cafe , and how it looks before and now.

Overall , before redesign the cafe is look like simple , but after redesign there are several of features were added and the cafe now look more advanced.

Before redesign the cafe is look like L-shaped layout with an extended rectangular section. there are only one gate for entery and another gate for exit which situated on the right side cornor. and near the exit gate the bin is situated , after the entering cafe on the right side of cornor there only one toilets bear by the bin. Now after enter the cafe , on the straight forwaerd there are two dining area ooms for the college staff. along with the all cafe covered by the tables and chairs on the main hall. after going straight on the north side the kitchen and serving area for all types of food and drink were situated.

After redesign the cafe's shape still same. The original exit or entery gates are still there, but additional gates have been installed at other corners following the cafe. after entering the cafe the bin is replcaed by the recycling bins. The toilets are just the way they are; they haven't been changed. But the dining rooms for staff were replace by more tow rooms , the righ side f the coffee bar and the left side of the food stall wjere take away the food. on the west side of the corner in straight forward the salad bar is opend. and the kitchen is still remains same but the erving area is replaced by the hot meals area. on the south side od cafe there tow new gates have been installed , one was the In front of the salad bar and another one is near by the toilets. after entering that gates the new addtion is outdoor seating area were installed with huge space with more tables and chairs. on the west side of cornor area the one more new feautre is barbecue situated in near the gate of salad bar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign, such as the kitchen, seating, and new outdoor areas. However, some aspects are more fully covered than others, and certain details are slightly unclear or under-developed. For instance, the description of the transformation of the staff dining rooms into a take-away food area and coffee bar is a bit convoluted. While the overview is attempted, it lacks precision. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to ensure all major changes are reported more clearly and supported by a more cohesive structural overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, successfully separating the past and present layouts into distinct sections. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, with awkward transitions like 'Now after enter the cafe , on the straight forwaerd' and repetitive linking devices. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal flow within paragraphs lacks smooth progression. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it harder for the reader to follow spatial relationships. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and organise sentences to establish clearer logical links between different parts of the plans.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating basic features of the maps such as 'kitchen', 'toilets', and 'tables and chairs'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary like 'redesign' and 'recycling bins', but this is accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'resigning' instead of 'redesigning', 'entery', 'cornor', and 'erving'. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their range of vocabulary, improve spelling accuracy, and employ more precise functional terms related to maps and diagrams.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in grammar, articles, and prepositions within grammatical patterns, such as 'the cafe is look like simple', 'there are only one gate', and 'tow new gates have been installed'. Punctuation is also weak, with inconsistent capitalisation and comma splices. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to detract from the overall quality of the writing. To improve, the student needs to focus on subject-verb agreement, accurate verb tenses for describing spatial changes, and better control over complex sentence structures.

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