Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-07

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)

Two plans illustrate the designs of former and current cafe of a college following its renovations.

Overall, old café underwent a significant transformation. The area became notably more modern and accessible with new corners of facilities and advancements.

On the one hand, The layout of café before redesign, has same size of area as compare to 'cafe today'. Whereas, here the accommodations like seating, recycling bin, hot meals, salad bars, barbecue, take away food, coffee bar have not included. Comparatively, It had the availability of staff dining rooms.

On the other hand, café today has modern and advance corners. Its the evolution of former café. Although the placement of kitchen, bin, table chairs in central area and toilet likewise the old café but here the outdoor installation of barbecue and seating have undergone significant transformation. Here the advancement like recycle bin depicts the innovative approach. Overall, the layout of former café transformed tremendously.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad change from the former café to the redesigned one and note several accurate comparisons: the kitchen, central tables and chairs, and toilets remain, while staff dining rooms are no longer present and outdoor seating and a barbecue have been added. This gives the response a relevant overview. However, some important changes are only listed or are unclear. For example, the former serving area becomes a hot-meals counter, and the new take-away food, coffee bar and salad bar are not explained as specific replacements or additions. The claim that the café became “more modern and accessible” is broad and not clearly supported by the plan. To strengthen the report, describe the main changes precisely and organise them by location or function.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, and the contrast between “before” and “today” gives it a basic organising principle. However, progression within the paragraphs is difficult to follow: the second paragraph groups several new facilities into a list, while the final paragraph repeats the overall transformation without adding a clear sequence of details. Connectors such as “On the one hand,” “Whereas,” and “On the other hand” are used mechanically or do not clearly link complete ideas. References such as “here” and “it” are also vague. Group the changes more logically—for example, facilities inside the café, retained features, and additions outside—and use clear links between those groups.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “significant transformation,” “availability,” “installation,” and “innovative approach,” and some terms relate to the plan. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing a floor plan. “New corners of facilities” and “modern and advance corners” do not clearly convey the new counters and service areas, while “outdoor installation” is an awkward description of seating and a barbecue. There is also inconsistency in labels, such as “recycling bin” for the plan’s recycling bins. Prefer precise, neutral terms such as “facilities,” “counter,” “seating area,” and “recycling bins,” and use the plan’s labels accurately. This would make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast beginning “Although the placement…” and the sentence starting “Whereas.” However, control is uneven, and some sentence structures are incomplete or awkward. “Whereas, here the accommodations…” is a fragment, and “Although the placement of kitchen… likewise the old café” lacks a complete main clause. There are also errors in articles and agreement, as in “former and current cafe” and “Its the evolution,” as well as punctuation and capitalisation problems after sentence openings. Build complete sentences around each comparison, check articles and verb forms, and use punctuation to separate clauses accurately. These changes would improve clarity while preserving your attempts at complex structures.

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