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 plans below show a college cafe before and after condition of a college. After redesign alot of things added in today's high school cafe
Overall, cafe in past picture have very needed areas which looks like a start of any shop.
However, with renovation of sections like barbeque, outdoor segment and take away corners made a new vibe in whole segment of canteen.
To start with, table and chairs located in the middle of the restraunt in both diagrams. Toilets and bin located in southern eastern corner in both condition. While there is a change in staff dinning area which transformed into a take away food and coffee bar.
On other side, salad bar is the new sector install in new student canteen in western side of newly based cafe. Moreover, barbeque is launch in renovative cafe in lower side of the diagram. Outdoor seating is also arranged by management for good exposure and great experience.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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, thus presenting a clear overview of the changes. For instance, you correctly identify that the former staff dining area has been replaced by a takeaway food section and a coffee bar, and that new features like a salad bar and barbecue have been introduced. However, some aspects are under-developed or lack precise detail. Phrases such as 'alot of things added' lack specificity, and your description of spatial locations could be more thoroughly extended. To move to a higher band, ensure that all key changes are described with fully supported detail and precise reporting of layout features without leaving certain transformations overly generalized.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a recognizable progression from an introductory overview to body paragraphs detailing specific spatial features and changes. Paragraphing is attempted to separate general introductory thoughts from specific comparisons. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, as seen in linking phrases like 'To start with,' 'On other side,' and 'Moreover,' which feel repetitive or awkwardly phrased. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when referring to 'new student canteen in western side of newly based cafe' without smooth transitions. To improve, work on using a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that each paragraph transitions logically into the next without abrupt shifts.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate basic descriptions of the changes such as 'renovation', 'outdoor seating', and 'take away food'. However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors that prevent a higher score. For example, 'alot' is an incorrect spelling, 'restraunt' contains a spelling error, and terms like 'barbeque is launch in renovative cafe' display awkward collocations and word forms. To achieve a higher band, you need to expand your lexical repertoire with less common vocabulary used accurately, paying closer attention to word forms, derivations, and correct spelling throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in article usage, plurals, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'cafe in past picture have very needed areas', 'table and chairs located', and 'Toilets and bin located', where auxiliary verbs are missing. Additionally, phrases like 'after condition of a college' and 'in western side of newly based cafe' show awkward prepositions and structural flaws. These errors occur regularly and occasionally cause slight difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher band, you should focus on constructing error-free complex sentences, ensuring proper subject-verb agreement, and using correct articles and prepositions consistently.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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