Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The map depicts the earliest and latest design of a college cafe.

Overall, the main building of the new cafe is similar to the older one despite few changes. The kitchen area is as it is in the new one. The tables and chairs space is also at the same place outside the kitchen. However, there are few changes in the new design which enhances its ambiance and makes it overall appealing to enjoy meals.

The area inside the kitchen which was the serving area for the waiters, containing all food and drinks, is now replaced with the space of freshly served hot meals. The salad bar is also an addition to the west of tables and chair section. To the north of this section was previously the rooms for staff dining which is now converted into take away food and coffee bar area. The single bin to the east of tables and chairs section is now replaces to a bigger space for recycling bins with a serious of toilets to the south of same section.

The cafe previously hasd no extended open space but in the new cafe design the cafe is expanded to a big outer open space where there is a section of live barbecue in the corner along with a series of outdoor seaing for the people who enjoy having meals in fresh air.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear summary of the changes shown in the college cafe plans. You present a clear overall picture of the redesign, noting that while the main building structure remains largely similar, several functional zones have been modified or added. Key features such as the conversion of the staff dining rooms into a take away food and coffee bar area, the addition of the salad bar and outdoor seating, and the introduction of recycling bins are accurately highlighted and compared. However, some aspects of the explanation are slightly general, such as mentioning 'few changes' without fully expanding on all the spatial shifts in detail. This prevents the response from reaching a higher level of development, placing it firmly at the current band where all parts are addressed, but some areas are somewhat under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from an introductory overview to body paragraphs detailing specific indoor and outdoor modifications. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, overall summary, indoor changes, and outdoor additions. However, cohesion at times feels somewhat mechanical or formulaic, as seen in transitions like 'However, there are few changes' and 'The area inside the kitchen'. Additionally, some referencing and cohesive devices lack seamless integration, which prevents the flow from being entirely natural. While information is logically sequenced throughout, these minor mechanical transitions keep the essay at this specific level of cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to architectural changes and campus facilities, such as 'ambiance', 'redesign', and 'recycling bins'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing throughout the text. For instance, phrases like 'the space of freshly served hot meals' and 'now replaces to a bigger space' show awkward collocations and minor word-formation slips. Spelling is generally accurate, but vocabulary choice lacks the precision and natural control needed for higher bands. These occasional lexical inaccuracies do not impede communication, making the resource fully adequate for a steady performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable attempt to vary sentence structures when describing the map layouts. You manage relative clauses and prepositional phrases adequately, such as in 'the rooms for staff dining which is now converted'. Nevertheless, there are some grammatical errors and awkward structures, including verb tense inconsistencies ('The cafe previously hasd no extended open space') and preposition errors ('to the west of tables and chair section'). Punctuation and agreement slips also occur periodically. These errors do not impede communication and allow the reader to follow your points easily, reflecting a solid command of basic grammar alongside persistent errors in complex constructions.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.