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)
The both diagrams shows a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.What are the additional features added in the new cafe as comapred with the old cafe.
The first cafe diagram show its has a spacious kitchen area attached with srving area where all food were served. The staff dining room was in the hall area with area specifice for tables and chairs .There was a small designated area for bin along with a toilet.
Now the new redesigned cafe looks better with more options in features are there. First the serving area is replaced with hot meal area .secondly the staff dining area was redesigned into a take away food area and coffee bar area.On the left side of the we saw additional salad bar designated section and the area for recycling bin now now more spacious.
Outside the cafe there was addition of barbecue area and outdoor seating for students.
These are the new additional features we see in the new cafe as comapred to old cafe for college student.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You identify several important changes, including the conversion of the former serving counter to hot meals, the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee areas, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. These details are relevant and broadly match the plans. However, the response is framed mainly as a list of new features rather than a clear summary of the overall changes. Some details are unclear or inaccurate: the kitchen is described as “spacious,” which is not established by the plan, and the recycling-bin area is called “more spacious,” although the diagram only shows recycling bins replacing the single bin. Mentioning that the central seating and toilets remain would also give a fuller comparison; the overview and some features are less fully developed than others.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic overall sequence: it describes the original café, then the redesigned one, and ends with the outdoor additions. This makes the main comparison reasonably easy to follow. However, the opening question, “What are the additional features added…?”, does not work well as an introduction, and the paragraphing does not clearly separate the overview from the detailed comparisons. Linking words such as “First” and “secondly” help, but the repeated “area” and the final sentence restating that these are additional features make the progression feel mechanical. Group the changes by location or function, and use clearer references to distinguish what was retained from what was replaced.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant task vocabulary such as “redesigned,” “serving area,” “take away food,” “coffee bar,” and “outdoor seating,” so the reader can understand the main changes. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or repetitive. “More options in features are there” is awkward, while “spacious kitchen” and “more spacious” for the recycling-bin area are not supported by the plan. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “comapred,” “srving,” and “specifice,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise map language and vary repeated words such as “area”; check spelling carefully before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response communicates its main points, but grammatical control is inconsistent and sentence structures are mostly simple. The opening has an agreement error in “The both diagrams shows,” and “The first cafe diagram show its has” combines incompatible verb patterns. Other examples include “the staff dining room was” where the plural “rooms” is needed, and “there was addition” instead of a correctly formed noun phrase. Missing spaces after full stops and the run-on construction in “area.On the left side…” also affect punctuation and readability. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and past-tense descriptions, then combine ideas using controlled complex sentences, for example, “The staff dining rooms were replaced by a takeaway counter and a coffee bar.”
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