Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given two plans demonstrate the layout changes in a college before and after its resigned.

Overall, it is evident that the area has undergone substantial changes over the period, becoming more develop and modernized, with several new features introduced, some existing facilities removed or replaced and the overall layout significantly recognized.

Previously, the map included several amenities, the kitchen was located at the top of the map, in the northwest corner. Food and drink serving area was situated adjacent to the kitchen, however this area is now used exclusively for serving hot meals. In addition, staff dining rooms were placed the central position. Remarkably, staff dining rooms are replaced with the area of take away food and coffee bar.

Moreover, tables and chairs were located in the middle of the map, while the toilets were positioned to the bottom of the map , in the southeast corner, and the bin was situated near the toilets, whereas now the bin is utilized for recycling. The salad bar is placed in west, and the outdoor seating area is built at the bottom of the map. And also, barbecue is located adjacent to the seating area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making comparisons between the two plans of the college cafe. The overview outlines the general transformation of the area successfully. However, some parts of the response are under-developed or lack precision. For instance, the description mentions that 'staff dining rooms were placed the central position', which misreads the original placement along the top wall, and some details regarding the exact positioning of newer features are slightly vague. While the main changes are identified, extending the discussion on the functional shifts of the layout with clearer comparative language would have elevated the task response further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the information into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing different areas of the maps. Paragraphing is used to separate features logically. However, the cohesion feels somewhat mechanical at times, relying on basic sequencing markers and transitional phrases such as 'Previously', 'In addition', and 'Moreover'. Referencing within the text is occasionally faulty, leading to minor tracking issues when contrasting the past layout with the current one. Clearer logical progression between sentences and more varied cohesive devices would be needed to reach a higher level of cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to structural changes and amenities such as 'amenities', 'exclusively', 'utilised', and 'adjacent'. However, there are notable lexical and word-form errors that detract from precision, such as 'resigned' instead of 'redesigned', 'become more develop' instead of 'developed', and 'significantly recognized' instead of 'reconfigured'. Less common lexical items are attempted, but inaccuracies in word choice and collocation prevent the vocabulary from achieving a higher standard. Spelling is generally acceptable, but grammatical forms of words require closer attention.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses and comparative clauses. There are several grammatical errors scattered throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies ('this area is now used', 'staff dining rooms are replaced'), prepositional errors ('placed the central position', 'placed in west'), and awkward passive constructions. Punctuation errors also occur, such as a comma splice before 'in the southeast corner'. Nevertheless, the errors are frequent enough to notice but rarely impede overall communication, placing the grammatical control squarely within this band.

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

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