Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The plan compares the outline of a college cafe before it was redesigned with the present day.
Overall, the cafe had undergone significant modifications to accomodate for larger student numbers and also included modern service stations for takeaway, barbecue and so on.
Before the redesign, the cafe only inlcuded two main areas. One for kitchen and service area where all food and drinks are available at the same spot wheras the other large area which consisted of two staff dinig rooms, tables and chairs in the centre and toilets towards the south-east corner. Also, there was a bin infront of the toilets. However, the cafe had only a single enterance and exit areas.
Conversely, by the present day, it has un
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response only minimally addresses the task requirements because it cuts off mid-sentence and is significantly under the 150-word minimum length requirement, containing only 121 words. While there is a brief attempt at an overview mentioning that the cafe underwent significant modifications, the body paragraphs fail to fully report the main features and comparisons shown in the diagrams, particularly regarding the layout changes after the redesign. The second body paragraph attempts to contrast the original layout with the present day, but the response remains incomplete, preventing a full development of the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is a basic attempt to organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs, showing some overall arrangement. However, because the text is incomplete and cuts off abruptly, there is no clear overall progression or conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Before the redesign', 'wheras', and 'Conversely' are used to connect ideas, but referencing and logical flow are disrupted by the abrupt ending and mechanical transitions. Paragraphing is initiated, but the final section is left unfinished.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, with attempts at less common lexical items such as 'significant modifications', 'accomodate', and 'counter'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('accomodate', 'inlcuded', 'wheras', 'dinig', 'enterance') and some awkward word choices that slightly impede communication. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and repetition of basic terms occurs, reflecting an adequate level that requires more precision and correct spelling for higher achievement.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The plan compares the outline of a college cafe before it was redesigned with the present day.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including preposition use and missing articles or agreement issues (e.g., 'the cafe only inlcuded two main areas. One for kitchen and service area...', 'the cafe had only a single enterance and exit areas'). While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, the frequent structural flaws and the truncated ending keep the grammatical performance within this band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.