Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The map highlights the transition in the layout of a college cafe after it was redesigned.

Overall, the biggest change occured at the south of cafe where outdoor seating is being introduced along with barbecue at the corner.

First of all, the serving area at the North has been replaced by hot meals section, followed by the construction of salad bar along the west wall in the middle. Take away food and coffee bar sections have took place of staff dining rooms attached to the wall in the middle section. Unlike toilets and kitchen which have not been removed from their original position, recycling bins were replaced by a single bin along with the east wall. There was no concept of outdoor seating in the previous design but now it has been included at the south of the cafe with the barbecue in the west corner of the new cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main transformation clearly: the new outdoor seating and barbecue, the replacement of the staff dining rooms, and the addition of food and drink facilities. You also correctly note that the kitchen and toilets remain in place. This covers the key before-and-after features, and the overview gives the reader a useful sense of the redesign. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the original bin was replaced by recycling bins, not by “a single bin,” and the new recycling bins occupy the same eastern-wall position. The description of the serving area as being “at the North” is also imprecise. To make the account more complete and precise, report the new southern doors and the four outdoor tables, and clarify the locations of the changed facilities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the changes. Its sequence is generally understandable, and contrasts such as “Unlike toilets and kitchen” help connect the old and new plans. However, the final paragraph combines several changes in a long sentence, making the relationships between them harder to follow. “First of all” does not establish a particularly useful sequence, while “followed by” and “attached to the wall in the middle section” leave the layout relationships somewhat unclear. Grouping the changes by area—for example, northern facilities, western and eastern features, then the southern extension—would create more controlled progression. Clearer sentence boundaries and more precise references would also reduce the occasional mechanical feel.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing a plan, including “transition,” “replaced,” “original position,” and “outdoor seating.” These choices communicate the main changes and show some flexibility beyond basic labels. Some wording is imprecise or does not collocate naturally, however. “The biggest change occured at the south of cafe” is less natural than describing a change “to the south of the café,” and “sections have took place of staff dining rooms” is an inaccurate expression for replacement. “Single bin” also misrepresents the plan’s recycling bins. Aim for precise spatial language and natural verbs such as “remain,” “be converted into,” and “be added.” Check spelling and use the labels from the plan consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a clear overview sentence and a contrast structure beginning “Unlike toilets and kitchen.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors reduce accuracy. In “sections have took place,” the present perfect requires “have taken,” although a more suitable construction would be “have replaced.” Articles and plurals are also inconsistent in phrases such as “at the south of cafe” and “toilets and kitchen”; use “to the south of the café” and “the toilets and the kitchen.” The sentence beginning “First of all” is overloaded with several changes, and its structure becomes difficult to control. Break it into shorter sentences and check verb forms, articles, and prepositions.

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