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 the looks of a college cafe before and after redesign. The comparison is made between the plans and looks of both past and present design of the cafe.

The map shows that the design of the cafe went through some noticeable changes. The kitchen and toilet areas remained the same but other areas are changed a lot.

Both before and after redesign, the kithen remained in the same place and that is in the north west area. Infront of the kitchen, there was an serving area for food and drinks before. But now, there are only hot meals. At the middle of the cafe, there were staff dining rooms before redesign but now, the staff dining rooms are replaced by take away food corner and coffee bar. There is a salad bar in the west part of the cafe below the kitchen area which was absent before. Tables and chairs are in the same place both before and after redesign. The space for recycling bins to the east part of the cafe is made larger than before. Furthermore, the cafe is expanded after redesign and some significant additions are done such as;va barbecue area and outdoor seating areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response satisfies the length requirement and addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the college cafe before and after the redesign, fulfilling the core requirements for the lower band while showing elements of the higher band. You successfully identify major changes, such as the addition of the salad bar, the barbecue area, and outdoor seating, along with the modification of the staff dining rooms into a take-away food corner and coffee bar. However, some parts of the response are slightly under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies; for example, you mention that 'the cafe is expanded after redesign', whereas the internal footprint remains largely the same while outdoor and layout adjustments were made. To reach a higher level, ensure that all highlighted features, such as the recycling bins and toilet locations, are described with complete precision, and extend your overview to synthesise the overarching spatial transformation more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression from an introductory summary to detailed body paragraphs comparing specific areas of the cafe. You make use of basic cohesive devices and transition words, such as 'Both before and after', 'At the middle of', and 'Furthermore', to guide the reader through the visual data. However, referencing is occasionally mechanical or repetitive, and paragraphing could be improved to better group related spatial changes. For instance, the second paragraph is very brief and could be integrated more smoothly. To achieve a higher standard, employ a wider and more varied range of cohesive devices without overusing simple connectors, and ensure that referencing words clearly point to the intended subjects across sentences to enhance the flow of information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the main transformations of the college cafe effectively. You attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'redesign', 'noticeably', and 'expanded', which demonstrates an effort to move beyond basic terms. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and typos throughout the text, such as 'kithen' (kitchen), 'an serving area' (a serving area), 'Infront' (in front), and the phrase 'the looks of a college cafe'. These minor inaccuracies do not impede overall communication, but they restrict the lexical score. To move up to the next band, you should incorporate a more precise range of vocabulary related to diagrams and spatial changes, paying closer attention to standard collocations, word forms, and correct spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic past and present tense structures when describing the layout changes. Sentences such as 'The map shows that the design of the cafe went through some noticeable changes' are clear and structurally sound. Nevertheless, there are some errors in grammar and punctuation that persist, including missing articles ('an serving area', 'in the west part'), incorrect prepositional usage ('to the east part' instead of 'in the east part'), and a punctuation error involving a semicolon followed by a comma in a list ('such as;va barbecue area'). These errors rarely impede communication, keeping the writing at a stable level. To reach a higher standard, incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex structures and refine your command of articles and prepositions.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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