Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05
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 provided diagrams compare the layout of a college cafe before it was redesign and how it look now.
Old design was a basic cafee had kicthen room with a serving area, toilets, staff dining rooms where one round dining table installed in each room, a large hall where table and chiars was install also there was a bin just in front of toilets. On the other side new design illustrate more facilities in that same space. Old staff dining rooms converted into new space one room used for take away food and one room for the coffee bar. Serving area is replaced by the hot meal section. Instead of bin recycling bins is installed. just opposite to the bin in the hall there is addition of salad bar aswell. Highlighting part of the new cafe design is outdoor sitting and barbecue section in it.
Overall expect the outdoor sitting there is no big change in the both design in term of the architecture. New design uses the space much efficiently. Toilets and kicthen are same as they were in the previous design. Hall have new addition like salad bar in the west. In old design cafe had not have any outdoor sitting which is designed in the today cafe. The current design is much better than older one having better facilities.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by comparing the layout of the college cafe before and after the redesign. Key changes are reported, such as the conversion of staff dining rooms into a take-away food area and coffee bar, the addition of a salad bar, and the introduction of outdoor seating and a barbecue section. However, some aspects are under-developed or lack full clarity, such as the vague description of spatial locations and generalisations about architectural changes. While the main features are covered, the reporting of details could be extended and supported more precisely to reach a higher level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response displays an overall coherent arrangement, moving from an introductory comparison to body details and an overview in the final paragraph. However, the organisation and progression are at times affected by faulty or mechanical cohesive devices. Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between sentences and ideas lack smooth logical links. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the abrupt shifts between describing indoor modifications and outdoor additions. The progression from feature to feature feels disjointed, which holds the text back from achieving a clearer, more logical flow throughout.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
An adequate range of vocabulary is attempted for the task, including functional terms like 'layout', 'facilities', and 'redesign'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, such as 'cafee', 'kicthen', 'redesign' instead of 'redesigned', 'chiars', 'install' instead of 'installed', and 'sitting' instead of 'seating'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy, and these slips mean that while communication is generally maintained, the lexical control remains limited and requires more precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures are frequently marred by grammatical errors. There are issues with missing articles, incorrect verb forms ('how it look now', 'cafe had not have'), subject-verb agreement, and prepositions. Punctuation is basic, with run-on phrasing and missing commas affecting readability. While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency and the limited control over complex grammatical patterns mean the writing remains at a lower band level.
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