Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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 plan below display a college canteen before it was redesigned and how it looks like after rennovation. Overall, Kitchen, toilets, tables and chairs are placed at the same spot before and after redesigning. Some new points are also added in the form of barbecue and salad bar point.

There was a serving area allocated for all foods and drinks in front of kitchen earlier and now it is replaced with hot meals. The take away facility and a coffee bar is arranged instead of staff dining rooms in the latest plan. However, tables and chairs are placed in the middle of the cafe as earlier and also no change is made in toilets and bins point.

A new salad bar is adjusted in the left side of the cafe along with tables and chairs. Another addition is done in the shape of barbecue point which is outside the cafe. An outdoor seating area is also adjusted in front of barbecue point. So, the new look of the cafe is more attractive than before redesign.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the cafe before and after the redesign, and includes relevant comparisons. However, some areas are more fully developed than others, which keeps the response at this level. For instance, the changes along the north wall from staff dining rooms to a take-away food area and coffee bar are mentioned, but other features like the exact relocation of bins to recycling bins are treated somewhat superficially. A few minor details are slightly imprecise, such as describing the salad bar as being adjusted in the left side rather than along the western wall. To reach a higher band, the student should provide a more thorough and extended overview of all notable spatial transformations with greater precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from an introductory overview to body paragraphs detailing specific changes, concluding with a summary impression. However, the organization suffers from mechanical cohesive devices and occasional awkward referencing. For instance, transitional phrases like 'Also no change is made in toilets and bins point' feel abrupt, and the pronoun reference in the final sentence ('So, the new look of the cafe is more attractive than before redesign') relies on subjective evaluation rather than clear structural progression. Paragraphing is attempted, but ideas within paragraphs are sometimes disjointed. To improve, the student should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices to link sentences and paragraphs more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the main transformations in the floor plans. The student makes attempts at less common vocabulary items such as 'rennovation' (which contains a spelling error), 'allocated', and 'transformation-related' terms. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as saying 'a new salad bar is adjusted' instead of 'installed' or 'added', and 'barbecue point' instead of 'barbecue area'. Spelling errors like 'rennovation' also occur. These errors do not impede communication, but they reflect a limited control over precise lexical choices. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to use a wider range of vocabulary with greater precision and correct spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as passive voice ('is replaced with hot meals') and dependent clauses. However, there are several grammatical errors in articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement throughout the text. Examples include 'The plan below display' instead of 'displays', missing articles such as 'in left side' instead of 'on the left side', and awkward prepositional patterns like 'in the shape of barbecue point'. Despite these errors, communication is rarely impeded, and the meaning remains clear. To progress to a higher band, the student must increase the frequency of error-free sentences and demonstrate tighter control over grammatical structures, particularly articles and verb-subject agreement.

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

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