Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Following points shows you the advantages of redesigning college cafe.

First of all, the serving area is now expand to much more platforms. previously all type of serving has been done through single counter but now students can take their food from a seperate counter which gives cafe a more orgainze way of serving. Also for drinking, cafe have now different counters to serve student more quickly.

Secondly, outdoor seating area has added to expand sitting area to give people the sense of enjoy nature while having a meal. There is also a seperate area for barbecue which was not the part of previous design.

Futhermore, the indoor sitting arangement is still close to previous layout except the salad bar and bins area which is a bit larger then the previous one to manage waste and also the number of exits and enterances is increase because of outdoor seating.

The Toilets and kitchen is kept similar to previous layout and a seprate staff dining area is now removed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task only partially because it is written in the style of an essay discussing 'advantages' rather than an academic report summarising visual data. The writer begins with an inappropriate introduction ('Following points shows you the advantages of redesigning college cafe') instead of an overview of the main changes. While several key features are mentioned, such as the expanded serving stations, the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue area, and the removal of the staff dining rooms, the information is presented as a list of benefits rather than an objective summary and comparison of the two plans. To reach a higher band, you must adopt an objective tone, avoid discussing advantages or benefits, and include a clear, cohesive overview of the overall transformations shown in the diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates some organisation with the use of transition markers such as 'First of all', 'Secondly', and 'Futhermore'. However, the overall progression is somewhat disjointed because the structure mirrors a standard opinion or discussion essay rather than a logical report comparing two physical maps. Paragraphing is attempted, but sentences within paragraphs sometimes lack smooth logical links between spatial features. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting between different sections of the cafe without establishing clear spatial relationships. To improve cohesion, use spatial referencing devices to guide the reader through the plans logically, ensuring that transitions connect physical locations rather than argumentative points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. There are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and spelling mistakes throughout the text, such as 'expand' instead of 'expanded', 'seperate' instead of 'separate', 'orgainze' instead of 'organized', and 'enterances' instead of 'entrances'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary like 'arrangements' and 'redesigning', but imprecise word choices and frequent spelling inaccuracies cause some difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher score, you need to expand your range of vocabulary relating to spatial changes and ensure correct spelling and word formation for terms such as separate, organized, and entrances.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences alongside a few faulty attempts at complex ones. There are frequent grammatical errors in verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and articles, such as 'Following points shows' instead of 'The following points show', 'cafe have now different counters' instead of 'the cafe now has different counters', and 'outdoor seating area has added' instead of 'an outdoor seating area has been added' (failing to use the passive voice correctly for a map description). These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on mastering passive voice structures for describing changes to locations, ensure accurate subject-verb agreement, and practice correct article usage.

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