Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-06

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)

well in this 2d drawing there is design of the cafe the before design only shows a kitchen area and down the kitchen area there is a serving area and there is main hall which is full of tables and chairs and also a seperate rooms for the staff dining at the right side of the hall there is a washroom for staff.

After the redesign of the cafe at the top there is kitchen and in kitchen there is a area for the hot meals. In dining hall at the top they added a coffee bar and take away food area at the left side of the dining hall there is a salad bar they added recycling bin at the right side of the hall and they shifted toilets at bottom right furthermore barbecue area was added outside of hall at left of the hall outdoor sitting for staff is also added in design of the cafe

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting a basic description of the changes between the two plans. While some main features are mentioned, such as the addition of the salad bar, coffee bar, and outdoor seating, the account lacks a clear overall overview and omits key comparative details. For instance, the student states that the toilets were shifted, whereas the plans show they remained in the same position in the bottom-right corner while other areas changed. Ideas are presented in a limited, sequential manner without a structured summary of the overall transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic organization of information, but the response lacks clear overall progression. The writing is presented in a continuous block of text without proper paragraphing to separate the description of the original layout from the current layout. Cohesive devices are largely absent or inadequate, relying instead on repetitive conjunctions and run-on structures like 'and then' or simple juxtaposition ('at the top', 'at the left side'). This makes the flow mechanical and hinders the logical sequencing of the comparative details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student attempts basic descriptive terms such as 'kitchen area', 'serving area', 'salad bar', and 'barbecue area', but relies on repetitive phrasing and lacks precision. There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies, such as referring to the outdoor seating as 'outdoor sitting for staff' when the visual data does not specify staff use. While meaning is generally conveyed, the restricted range and lack of less common lexical items prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, consisting almost entirely of simple sentences and run-on clauses joined by 'and'. There is a complete lack of punctuation, including missing capital letters and full stops, which creates long, disjointed sentences. Frequent errors in grammar are evident, such as missing articles ('in 2d drawing', 'in dining hall', 'at bottom right'), incorrect prepositions ('in design of the cafe'), and issues with subject-verb agreement. These errors frequently cause strain and difficulty for the reader.

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

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