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)

The map illustrate the changes that took place in a college cafe` before and after it was redesigned.

Overall, several changes were made to the cafe`, including the addition of new facilities and a reorganization of the seating area.

Before the redesign, the cafe` had several facilities. There are two staff dining rooms, a kitchen, and tables and chairs in the middle of the cafe`. the toilet was in the corner, and the bin was outside the toilet.

After the redesign, several changes were made to the cafe`.The serving area replaced by a hot-meals area, while the two staff dining rooms were replaced by a take away food and a coffee bar. There was a bin which was later replaced by a large recycling bins. The tables and chairs remained in the same place. In addition, a salad bar was added,and an outdoor seating area with six tables was created for people to sit and eat barbecue.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially by identifying some key features of the college cafe before and after its redesign, such as the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, and the transformation of the serving and staff areas. However, some aspects are under-developed or inaccurately described. For instance, the writer states that the bin was outside the toilet and later replaced by large recycling bins, whereas the map shows a general bin moved to the eastern wall and replaced specifically by recycling bins. The overview is somewhat basic, noting general changes rather than synthesising the most striking transformations, such as the expansion into outdoor spaces. To achieve a higher band, the response would need to present a clearer, more fully developed overview and select all key features with greater precision and consistency.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a logical division into an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs describing the cafe before and after the redesign. Cohesive devices are used to signal chronological shifts, such as 'Before the redesign' and 'After the redesign'. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, as seen in abrupt transitions between sentences and minor referencing issues. Paragraphing is present, but the body paragraphs could be better organised to group related spatial features together rather than listing them sequentially. To progress, the writer should ensure that cohesive devices connect ideas more fluidly and that referencing pronouns or demonstratives are used with greater precision throughout the response.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to use less common items related to spatial changes, such as 'redesigned', 'reorganization', and 'recycling bins'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'The map illustrate' (agreement error involving lexical control), 'take away food' (used as a noun phrase where hyphenation or phrasing could be sharper), and punctuation marks clashing with letters like 'cafe`'. Spelling errors and incorrect word forms occasionally impede smooth communication. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to expand their lexical range and demonstrate more precise control over word choice, collocations, and spelling, avoiding basic slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses ('a bin which was later replaced') and subordinate clauses. However, there is a limited range of grammatical structures overall, and frequent errors persist. Examples include tense inconsistencies ('The map illustrate' instead of illustrates; 'the cafe had... There are two' mixing past and present tenses), missing articles ('The serving area replaced by' lacking a passive auxiliary), and punctuation mistakes. These errors require some effort to decode but do not completely obscure the meaning. To improve, the writer should focus on maintaining consistent verb tenses, ensuring accurate subject-verb agreement, and supplying necessary auxiliary verbs in passive 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.