Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Thr given pictorial map illustarte a college cafe layout earlier and what changes happend after reconstruction.

Overall, it can be seen that most of the outdoor seatings has been removed. Whereas, staff dining rooms now changed in to take away food and coffe bar the structure has improved noticabally over the period.

By analysing the data, in old cafe there was a two joint staff dining rooms connected to each other how ever, its now seprated and replaced by take away and coffe bar. Further more, small bin at east side of the cafe now replaced by a bigger recycling bins downside of that there is a toilet that is still same.

Another major change is happend in serving area which is now converted to hot meals area. While, tabels and chairs in bottom side are still there but on the west side there is new salad bar is opened following that there is newly constructed barbecue facility now availabe down side of the salad bar. Kitchen of the cafe is still same to the northside

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While the writer attempts to summarise the main changes between the two plans, some parts of the overview and body paragraphs are inaccurate or contradict the visual data. For instance, the opening overview incorrectly claims that 'most of the outdoor seatings has been removed,' whereas the plans show that outdoor seating was actually newly added rather than removed. Similarly, the details regarding the kitchen location and the transformations of the staff dining rooms are presented with limited development. To move to a higher band, the writer must ensure all reported features strictly align with the visual evidence and provide a more fully developed, accurate summary of all key spatial changes without misinterpreting the diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation in the response, but it lacks a clear and logical overall progression. The essay is divided into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs, which provides a basic framework. However, the use of cohesive devices is frequently mechanical or inaccurate, such as using 'Whereas' at the beginning of a sentence fragment or transitioning awkwardly between points using phrases like 'By analysing the data'. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to follow the spatial relationships between the old and new layouts. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the writer should employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive markers and ensure each paragraph flows logically into the next, maintaining clear signposting of spatial changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical resource is limited but minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to maps and changes, such as 'reconstruction', 'converted', and 'facility', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in spelling, word choice, and word form, including 'Thr' instead of 'The', 'illustarte', 'happend', 'noticabally', 'coffe', and 'seprated'. These lexical slips and spelling errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher band, the vocabulary range needs to be wider and more precise, with careful attention paid to correct spelling, word forms, and natural collocations suitable for describing diagrammatic data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic complex forms that frequently contain structural faults. There are frequent errors in grammar, articles, plurals, and verb forms, such as 'staff dining rooms now changed in to take away food', 'there was a two joint staff dining rooms', 'small bin at east side... now replaced by a bigger recycling bins', and 'tabels and chairs in bottom side are still there'. These persistent errors can cause difficulty and strain for the reader. To progress to a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate a greater variety of complex structures with improved accuracy, paying closer attention to subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, and correct tense usage.

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

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