Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The two plans illustrate how a college cafe looks after redesigning. Overall, the cafe has become more developed, with new facilties added, while some exisitng ones were replaced, such as staff dining rooms, bin, and serving area.

Before redesigning, the cafe had a serving area for all foods and drinks in the kitchen and two staff dining rooms in the centre of the cafe. The toilets were in the south, while the bin was in the east of the cafe. The rest of the area had tables and chairs, and was used as indoor seating.

After redesigning, the serving area in the kitchen was converted to hot meals area, while the staff dining rooms were replaced by take away food and coffee bar. The bin in the east was also replaced by recycling bins and a salad bar was opened in the west of the cafe. The toilets and indoor seating remained unchanged.

In addition, an outdoor seating was also introduced for students, along with a barbecue stand in the south-west of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers the main changes accurately and gives a clear overview: the café has gained new facilities, while the staff dining rooms, original serving area and single bin have been replaced. You also compare the kitchen counter, north-side rooms, eastern waste facility and toilets, and mention the new outdoor seating and barbecue. These details are grounded in the plans, and the main features are well selected. A small point of precision: the staff dining rooms were along the north wall, rather than “in the centre,” and the serving area was beside the kitchen rather than inside it. The outdoor area is also described without noting its tables. Overall, the account is well developed, with only minor omissions or imprecision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The four-paragraph structure is effective: an overview is followed by a description of the original layout, the redesigned interior and the outdoor additions. The sequence from “Before redesigning” to “After redesigning” makes the comparison easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “while,” “also” and “In addition” help connect changes. The progression is clear throughout. To make cohesion more flexible and precise, avoid relying on repeated contrast patterns and ensure each reference clearly identifies a location or feature. For example, “the rest of the area” is understandable but broad; specifying the central seating area would guide the reader more directly. Overall, the organisation is strong, though some linking is a little formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a plan, including “converted,” “replaced,” “remained unchanged” and “introduced.” These choices communicate the main transformations clearly. However, some word choices and collocations are imprecise or awkward: “looks after redesigning” is less natural than “looks after the redesign,” and “an outdoor seating” is not idiomatic. There are also spelling errors in “facilties” and “exisitng,” and “barbecue stand” is not the most accurate label for the area shown. These slips do not prevent understanding, but they limit the precision and control expected at a higher level. Aim for accurate plan-specific terms and check spelling and countability.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response includes a useful mix of simple and complex sentences, particularly in constructions such as “while some existing ones were replaced” and “while the staff dining rooms were replaced by…”. Most sentences are easy to understand, and the past-tense descriptions are generally controlled. Some grammatical errors remain. In “how a college cafe looks after redesigning,” the structure is incomplete or awkward; “how a college café looks after it was redesigned” would be clearer. “An outdoor seating was also introduced” has an article/countability problem, and “the toilets and indoor seating remained unchanged” could be more precisely expressed as “the toilets and central seating area remained unchanged.” Greater accuracy in these patterns, alongside the existing sentence variety, would strengthen the response.

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

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