Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The first layout illustrates the look of the college cafe before it was redesigned, while the second image demonstrates the present condition of the cafe.

Overall, the cafe has undergone significant changes. While many features have remained unchanged, many new facilities have been introduced and some features have been removed and replaced.

In the past, the tables and chairs were placed in the center of the cafe hall, while a bin and toilets were in the south east direction of the cafe. In addition, a kitchen and serving area was present in the north position, whilst two staff dinning rooms were also located in it.

In the present, the cafe has undergone several modifications. Many new features have been added into it, such as a salad bar, a barbecue location and a outdoor seating area. Furthermore, some features have been replaced such as, staff dinning rooms have been replaced with a take away food room and a coffee bar. Moreover, the bin area has been expanded.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview and comparing the main features of the college cafe before and after its redesign. The overview captures the general transformation accurately, and key changes such as the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, and the reconfiguration of the staff dining rooms are reported. However, some aspects of the task are developed more fully than others; for example, the description of the changes tends to generalize rather than detailing all minor positional shifts, and certain details like the barbecue and specific food counters are only briefly listed. To reach a higher band, the response would need to extend its support and select more precise comparative details across the two floor plans, avoiding slightly repetitive phrasing when listing updates.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into introductory, overview, and body paragraphs, fulfilling the requirements for a logical progression. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the comparison, utilizing phrases such as 'Overall', 'In the past', and 'In the present'. However, cohesion can sometimes feel a bit mechanical or repetitive in its sentence-opening structures. Furthermore, referencing could be sharper to tie the features of the past and present together more fluidly. To move into higher bands, the response should demonstrate a wider range of cohesive devices and smoother transitions between sentences, ensuring that information flows effortlessly without relying on formulaic paragraph transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to successfully communicate the main features of the maps. There are successful attempts at using less common task-specific vocabulary such as 'redesigned', 'modifications', and 'reconfigured'. However, the lexical range remains somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice, form, and spelling, such as writing 'dinning rooms' instead of 'dining rooms' and 'a outdoor seating area' instead of 'an outdoor seating area'. To achieve a higher band, the student should incorporate a wider variety of precise, sophisticated vocabulary and lexical chunks related to architectural changes, spatial descriptions, and trends, while minimizing minor typographical and spelling errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a decent control over basic structures and tenses suited for describing past and present conditions. There are some error-free sentences, such as the introductory sentence and the overall summary. Nevertheless, some errors in grammar and punctuation persist, including article misuse ('a outdoor seating area') and slightly clumsy prepositional phrasing ('in the north position' instead of 'in the northern section'). These errors rarely impede communication and remain manageable. To progress further, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater accuracy, ensuring that relative clauses and participial phrases are flawlessly constructed throughout the entire response.

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.