Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 maps display a comparison between the present layout of the college cafe, and its layout before it was renovated.

Overall, the cafe was extended outdoors, offering outdoor seating and it now offers a wider variety of food and drinks. A new barbecue area, salad bar and coffee bar were added, whereas the kitchen and toilets remained unchanged.

The upper left corner of the layout shows that the serving area got changed into Hot meals section while the kitchen remained in the same place. The Staff dining rooms were removed from the middle of the cafe and are now converted into take away food area and coffee bar. The tables and chairs didn't move. A new salad bar area was introduced at the left center of the cafe and the bin at right center of cafe was changed into recycling bins.

The cafe was extended outdoors introducing a new barbecue area and outdoor seating for the customers. Two new doors at the bottom of the cafe are opened so that a person can enter into the cafe from that side of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by presenting a clear overview of the main changes and reporting the key features of the college cafe before and after its redesign. For instance, the overview effectively highlights the outdoor extension and the expanded food offerings. The details are generally accurate and supported by the visual data, noting the transformation of the staff dining rooms into a take-away food area and coffee bar, as well as the addition of the salad bar and barbecue area. However, some parts of the response tend to list details rather than fully synthesising comparisons, placing the response solidly in this band. To reach a higher level, the writer could provide a more integrated comparison showing how specific zones were reallocated relative to one another rather than describing features in a sequential format.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction to the overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing specific spatial changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate general trends from specific area modifications. However, the cohesion between sentences is occasionally mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on simple transitional links or repetitive naming of locations (e.g., repeating 'the cafe' frequently). Reference words are generally clear, but the flow could be smoother. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to employ more sophisticated and flexible cohesive devices, ensuring that transitions between sentences and ideas feel more natural and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the intended spatial changes and modifications. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to map descriptions, such as 'renovated', 'reallocated', and 'extended outdoors'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'serving area got changed into Hot meals section' rather than 'converted into' or 'redesignated as', and minor phrasing issues like 'bin at right center of cafe'. These lexical slips do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the descriptions easily. To move to a higher lexical band, the writer should incorporate a wider range of precise, less common vocabulary and demonstrate better control over collocation and stylistic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with examples of subordinate clauses used to describe structural alterations, such as 'while the kitchen remained in the same place' and 'so that a person can enter into the cafe'. There are some grammatical errors in article usage, prepositions, and verb patterns, such as 'at right center of cafe' (missing articles) and 'Two new doors... are opened so that a person can enter into' (awkward passive voice and unnecessary preposition in 'enter into'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. To improve to a higher band, the writer needs to increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and ensure greater precision in grammatical patterns, particularly regarding articles and prepositions.

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

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