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 maps display a college cafeteria before and after the renovation. Although the indoor seating area is not expanded, but outdoor seating is added in renovated cafe. The placements of toilet and bins remain same even after the redesigning.
There are multiple changes held at the location. Before there were the staff dining rooms, besides the serving area which is changed by hot meals area now, now there is two rooms for separate deeds. One is for the tale away food while other is organized as coffee bar. Salad bar is introduced in common sitting area and more bins placed there too. One of the significant changes in newly designed cafe is outdoor arrangement, like barbecue bar and seating arrangement.
As per of similarities, the location of toilet and kitchen remained same. The area for indoor seating layout is also as same as before refurbishment. No doubt, more bins are situated but spot for them is still same as for the bin before the renovation.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview of the main changes and identifying key features such as the conversion of staff rooms into a take-away area and coffee bar, the addition of the salad bar, and the outdoor seating and barbecue area. The overview is evident in the opening paragraph where general changes are outlined. However, some ideas are a bit repetitive, and certain features could have been extended further, which reflects a solid performance at the core of the task while leaving room for fuller, more seamlessly integrated development across all details.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text presents a coherent overall arrangement and attempts to group information logically into an introduction, a body paragraph detailing changes, and a concluding paragraph focusing on similarities. However, the progression between sentences can feel slightly mechanical due to basic referencing and repetitive phrasing such as 'Before there were...' and 'As per of similarities'. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion is sometimes faulty, and transitions lack natural flow. To reach the next level, the writer needs to employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure smoother links between ideas.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'cafeteria', 'renovation', 'refurbishment', and 'barbecue'. However, there are noticeable vocabulary and collocation errors, such as 'tale away food' (takeaway food), 'separate deeds' (different purposes), and 'barbecue bar' (barbecue area). Spelling slips also occur. While communication is not severely impeded, the frequent lexical inaccuracies and limited control over less common vocabulary prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, as seen in sentences introduced by 'Although' and 'Before there were'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding prepositions, articles, and clause structures, such as 'Although the indoor seating area is not expanded, but outdoor seating is added', 'There are multiple changes held at the location', and 'spot for them is still same as for the bin'. These errors in grammar and punctuation can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader and reflect a limited control of complex structures.
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