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.

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The two Diagram illustrate the map of a college cafe showing the difference between two designs one is before redesgining and the other is after the redesgining of cafe.

Overall, the first diagram that shows the data before the redesgin actually showing that it was design in a more simple way that it only contain the basics while in the second diagram which of today's cafe is showing that the cafe is built on purpose as it shows that it contain all the important portions which needs to be in a college cafe.

Moreover the first diagram before redesgin is showing that the cafe consist only on a kitchen with a serving areaand got two seperate private rooms for the staff for dining and a open space where they have tables and chairs and a toilet and a bin. While, the redesgin cafe is showing that it consisst of a kitchen with a hot meals area and also contain a coffe bar for coffe lovers and take away area with salad bar the other portion remain same it just got barbecue and outdoor seating as an extra in the area

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

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 the redesign, such as the kitchen remaining in the upper-left corner and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. However, some ideas and comparisons are under-developed or vague, such as stating that 'the other portion remain same' without specifying which elements stayed identical. The overview attempts to summarize the general transformation, noting that the layout evolved from a simple setup into a more purposeful design, which satisfies the requirements for this level even though the selection of details lacks depth in places.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement and attempts to organize information logically into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs comparing the two maps. However, cohesion is often faulty or mechanical. The transition words and phrases used, such as 'Moreover' and 'While, the redesgin cafe', feel slightly repetitive or clumsy. Referencing is not always clear, particularly in phrases like 'the other portion remain same it just got barbecue and outdoor seating', which makes the progression of ideas disjointed in places. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion requires better linking devices.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, though it is limited and repetitive. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'redesigned' and 'purpose', but makes frequent spelling and word-choice errors, including 'Diagram' instead of diagrams, 'redesgining' instead of redesigning, 'contain' instead of contained, and 'coffe' instead of coffee. These errors do not seriously impede communication because the overall meaning remains clear, but they restrict the lexical score due to inaccuracy and noticeable spelling slips throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures often contain errors. There are frequent grammatical lapses in verb tense consistency (e.g., 'The two Diagram illustrate', 'is showing that it was design', 'consisst'), subject-verb agreement, and missing articles or prepositions (e.g., 'consist only on a kitchen', 'a open space'). Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences lacking proper periods or commas. While these errors rarely completely impede understanding, they occur with enough frequency to keep the grammatical control at this level.

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