Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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.

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The given maps illustrate the modification made to a college cafe a redesign.

Overall, the cafe is undergone a major layout transformation. The main internal structure was modernized by consolidating service points and rearranging the seating, while the outdoor area was significantly expanded.

Before redesign, the northern side housed a kitchen behind a main serving area labeled " all food and drink" alongside two seperate staff dinning rooms. The central area was open space filled tables and chairs, whiole the eastern side contained a bin and a toilets in the bottom corner.

In the updated plan, the staff dinning room have been removed and replaced by Take away food and a coffee bar. The original serving area has been replaced witha dedicated hot meals section in the front of the kitchen area. Additionally, a new salad bar has been positioned along the western wall, and a single bin near the eastern side has been replaced by Recycling bins.

The main seating area with tables and chairs remains in the center. However, a new opens at the southern wall leading to an extensive outdoor seating section equipped with multiple tables, as well as a barbecue facility situated on the far south-western side.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear overview of the main changes and reporting the key features of the college cafe before and after its redesign. You effectively highlight major shifts such as the removal of staff dining rooms, the addition of a salad bar and outdoor seating with a barbecue, and the conversion of the serving area. The information is accurately selected and well-supported with spatial references, such as noting the new additions along the western and southern walls. While the overview captures the general transformation, some further extension on minor spatial details would help lift the task response to a higher standard. However, all core comparisons are logically reported and directly grounded in the visual data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response maintains a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You introduce the topic effectively in the opening sentence, provide a concise overall summary in the second paragraph, and then structure the body paragraphs logically by contrasting the past layout with the updated plan. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to guide the reader through the spatial transitions, such as 'Before redesign' and 'In the updated plan'. Paragraphing is handled appropriately, separating the introductory summary from the detailed spatial descriptions. To achieve even smoother cohesion, referencing words and transitional phrases could be varied slightly to avoid occasional mechanical sequencing, ensuring the flow between sentences feels entirely natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed to complete the task successfully. You attempt less common vocabulary related to spatial changes, such as 'modification', 'consolidation', and 'layout transformation'. However, there are some minor word choice, spelling, and word form inaccuracies that occasionally surface, such as 'dinning' instead of 'dining', 'whiole' instead of 'while', and 'replaced witha'. Collocations are generally acceptable, though some phrases lack precision. To reach a higher level, you should focus on utilizing a wider, more sophisticated range of lexical items with precise control, ensuring that spelling and word forms are error-free and appropriate for an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable command of grammar. Structures such as 'The main internal structure was modernized by consolidating service points...' show a good attempt at varied sentence patterns. There are, however, some noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'the cafe is undergone', missing articles in phrases like 'filled tables and chairs', and a fragmented sentence structure in 'However, a new opens at the southern wall'. Punctuation is generally functional, but these persistent errors in verb forms and prepositions prevent the text from achieving a higher level of accuracy. Focusing on careful proofreading for tense consistency and article use will help improve your structural control.

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