Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · 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 8.0)

The two floor plans illustrate the structural modifications made to a café layout, comparing its original state prior to redesign with its current configuration.

Overall, the café has undergone significant developments aimed at expanding service variety and increasing customer capacity. Most notably, dedicated dining spaces for staff have been repurposed into specialized service stalls, and a substantial outdoor seating area has been added.

In the original layout, all food and beverages were dispensed from a single central serving area located directly in front of the kitchen. Additionally, two staff dining rooms occupied the northern wall, each equipped with circular tables. To the right, a single waste bin stood near the entrance, adjacent to the toilets situated in the bottom right corner.

In the present layout, the main serving counter has been converted exclusively for "Hot meals." The former staff dining rooms have been removed and replaced with two distinct stations: one for "Take away food" and another functioning as a "Coffee bar." Along the left-hand wall, a new salad bar has been introduced. Furthermore, the single bin near the right exit has been expanded into a dedicated recycling bin area, while the toilets in the bottom right corner remain unchanged.

Externally, a completely new barbecue zone has been installed outside the bottom-left corner, and an outdoor seating area featuring multiple tables now spans the southern exterior of the building, accessible via a new doorway at the bottom wall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a fully developed overview and reporting the main features with accurate comparisons. The changes—such as the conversion of the serving area, the addition of the salad bar, the replacement of staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee stations, and the inclusion of outdoor seating and a barbecue zone—are clearly described. The information is strictly grounded in the provided visual data, with no major omissions or misinterpretations. To reach the absolute highest level, the writer could incorporate even finer details regarding spatial shifts or exact placements, but the current coverage is comprehensive, well-structured, and fully addresses the prompt's requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Ideas are logically sequenced, moving naturally from an introductory overview to the specific details of the original plan and then the present layout. Cohesive devices are managed well without feeling mechanical or obtrusive, as seen in transitions like "In the original layout" and "In the present layout." Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the introduction, overview, past layout, present layout, and external additions into distinct, coherent blocks. To achieve an even higher band, referencing and cohesion could be made entirely seamless and invisible, though the current management is already strong and effective.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The student exhibits a wide, fluent, and flexible vocabulary range suitable for an academic task. Words and phrases such as "structural modifications," "repurposed into specialized service stalls," "dispensed," and "externally" demonstrate a skillful use of uncommon lexical items. Word choice and collocation are handled very naturally, with only occasional minor slips that do not impede communication. To push towards the absolute highest band, the writer could integrate even more sophisticated, precise collocation and idiomatic academic expressions, but the current lexical range easily satisfies the requirements of a high-level response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The writing features a wide range of complex structures, and the majority of sentences are completely error-free. Control of grammar and punctuation is strong throughout, with accurate tense shifting between the past state ("were dispensed," "occupied") and the present state ("remains," "have been converted"). Prepositions, articles, and relative clauses are handled with precision. Only very occasional minor slips occur, which do not disrupt the flow of reading. To attain the top band, the text would need to be completely free of even minor imperfections, but the variety of complex sentence forms and high overall accuracy demonstrate excellent command of English grammar.

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