Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-08

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 maps compare the layout of a college cafe before it was redsigned with its current appearance.

Overall, it is evident that cafe underwent significant development, with several new facilities being added such as coffee bar, outdoor seating area and barbecue and some existing features being removed.

Before cafe was redesigned, kitchen and serving area were located in the upper-left corner, while toilets were situated in the lower- right corner. In front of toilets, bin area was located. Most of the remaining space was occupied by tables and chairs, while two staff dining rooms were situated in the upper-right section.

Today, kitchen remains in same position, but serving area has been replaced by hot meals. Several new facilities have been added like salad bar, take away food and coffee bar. Outdoor seating and brabecue have been constructed outside of cafe. Tables, chairs and toilets have unchanged after reconstruction, while recycling bins have replaced by bins.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You provide a clear overview of the main changes, noting the new coffee bar, outdoor seating and barbecue, as well as the kitchen’s unchanged position. Most locations are reported accurately, including the toilets and the central seating area. However, some details are unclear or incomplete: the two staff dining rooms were along the upper wall, not specifically the upper-right section, and the original serving area was beside the kitchen rather than simply part of the upper-left corner. The final comparison also reverses the change: recycling bins replaced the single bin, not the other way around. Mentioning the new salad bar and takeaway facilities is useful, but explaining the conversion of the staff rooms would make the comparison more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a summary of the main changes, and separate descriptions of the earlier and current layouts. This makes the comparison easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Before” and “Today” help signal the stages. Some connections are less precise, however. “In front of toilets” does not clearly establish the bin’s position along the eastern wall, and “while” is used to join details that are not strongly contrasted. The final sentence also combines several changes without clearly distinguishing what stayed the same from what was replaced. More precise spatial references and clearer grouping of unchanged features versus additions would strengthen progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a plan, including “layout,” “situated,” “replaced,” “facilities” and “constructed.” These choices communicate the main changes, and terms such as “upper-left” and “lower-right” help describe location. Some word choices and collocations are imprecise, though: “bin area” is not the label shown, and “constructed” is less natural for indoor facilities. There are also spelling errors in “redsigned” and “brabecue,” while “cafe” is repeated frequently. Use the plan’s labels consistently and vary location and change vocabulary carefully. These issues do not prevent understanding, but greater accuracy and control would make the description more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview sentence and comparisons using “while” and “but.” The main ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Articles are often missing in phrases such as “before cafe was redesigned,” “kitchen remains in same position” and “outside of cafe”; use “the” where referring to the specific café, kitchen or position. The final clause, “recycling bins have replaced by bins,” lacks the passive auxiliary and does not express the change correctly; a suitable form is “the bin has been replaced by recycling bins.” “Tables, chairs and toilets have unchanged” also needs a passive construction. More accurate articles and verb forms would improve control.

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