Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02
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 plans below illustrates a college cafe before it was
redesigned and how it looks now.
Overall, college cafe before and it was redesigned and college cafe today has a lot of change in it. First of all, every section is divided into a specific area and outside sitting are also present in today cafe.
In contrast, in college cafe before redesigned, it has a lot of space but area is not specific for kitchen and others side. In addition, the kitchen is at one side of the corner and in front of it there is a serving area in which all kind of food and drinks are present. There is a staff dining rooms available, tables and chairs are present in the centre. But in cafe today there is a proper sitting area and at one side there is a kitchen are here and in front of it hot meals and inside take away food are here.Coffee bar are stand by it and in second corner recycling bins and toilets are also here which is basic need of every cafe in college.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response attempts to address the prompt by describing the two plans of the college cafe, but it only partially covers the task. While some main features are mentioned, such as the kitchen, the serving area, tables and chairs, and the new outdoor seating, the description remains limited and under-developed. Important details from the visual data, such as the exact relocation of the staff dining rooms into a take away food and coffee bar area, and the addition of the salad bar, are either missed or described unclearly. Furthermore, the overview is very basic and merely repeats phrases from the prompt rather than giving a clear summary of the major changes. To improve, the writer needs to select the most significant overall trends and develop comparisons between the two plans more thoroughly, ensuring all major zones and additions are accurately reported.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
There is some organisation in the response, but it lacks a clear overall progression. The essay begins with an introductory sentence, moves into a brief overview paragraph, and then attempts a body paragraph comparing the two maps. However, the logical flow is frequently disrupted by repetitive phrasing and unclear referencing. For example, expressions like 'college cafe before and it was redesigned and college cafe today' create clutter and make the progression difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used rather mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, such as 'In contrast, in college cafe before redesigned' and 'First of all'. Paragraphing is also poorly handled, as the overview and body details run together awkwardly. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure ideas are logically sequenced with clear transitions, avoid repetitive sentence openings, and structure the response into distinct, well-managed paragraphs.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer relies heavily on basic, repetitive words directly copied from the prompt, such as 'college cafe', 'redesigned', 'kitchen', 'tables and chairs', and 'food'. There are frequent word choice and word form errors throughout the text, including phrases like 'outside sitting are also present', 'area is not specific for kitchen', and 'Coffee bar are stand by it'. Spelling and morphological inaccuracies, such as 'sitting' instead of 'seating', occasionally cause confusion for the reader. To improve lexical resource, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary by using synonyms and less common functional terms related to maps and diagrams, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'counter', and 'facilities', while paying closer attention to accurate word formation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and faulty attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The plans below illustrates', 'Coffee bar are stand by it'), incorrect prepositions ('at one side of the corner'), and missing articles ('in second corner recycling bins and toilets are also here'). Tense consistency is also problematic when contrasting past and present layouts. These frequent errors cause considerable difficulty for the reader and obscure the intended meaning. To achieve a higher band, the writer must focus on mastering basic sentence structures, ensuring correct verb tenses and agreement, and using articles and prepositions accurately.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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