Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The plan's given describes the before and after of the college cafe that is redesigned. It can be observed that with the same space but different and creative ideas we can improve the ambiance and design of the cafe. Previously, there was only a single kitchen and fewer meal options available but now after the revamp of the cafe infrastructure there are variety of options for meal as new counters are available like salad bar , hot meal , etc. Apart from this now the sitting plan is also enhanced where the guest have the choice to sit indoor or enjoy the outdoor seating where they can live the moment with the live BBQ. One deduction that is made in the new layout is the removal of staff dining rooms and they are replaced with the take away food and coffee bar counter that lead to increase in customer footfall and definitely in the revenue also.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main change from staff dining rooms to takeaway and coffee facilities, and you mention the new salad bar, hot-meal counter and outdoor seating with a barbecue. These are relevant features, and your comparison shows that you understand the broad purpose of the plans. However, some important details are missing or unclear: the kitchen remains in the same place, the central tables and chairs and toilets are retained, and the bin becomes recycling bins. The claim that the redesign will “lead to increase in customer footfall” and revenue is not shown by the plans, which call for a factual description rather than predictions. A clearer overview of what stayed the same and what changed, followed by precise spatial comparisons, would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence: it introduces the redesign, describes new food options and seating, then discusses the former staff rooms. Linking phrases such as “Previously,” “Apart from this,” and “One deduction” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the whole answer is presented as one paragraph, and the progression is not consistently organised around the plans’ main features. Several points are bundled into long sentences, while “Apart from this” does not clearly identify the comparison being made. The final sentence shifts from describing the layout to predicting business effects, which weakens the focus. Use a separate overview and group details by indoor changes, retained features and outdoor additions; use clear references such as “the former staff rooms” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “redesigned,” “meal options,” “counters,” “outdoor seating” and “staff dining rooms,” so the main ideas are usually understandable. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “revamp” and “ambiance,” but some choices are imprecise or unnatural for a neutral plan description. “The plan’s given” is unclear, “sitting plan” is not the usual term for seating arrangements, and “live BBQ” does not accurately describe the barbecue area. Phrases such as “creative ideas” and “live the moment” add opinion rather than useful spatial information. Prefer precise labels from the plans and standard collocations, for example “the café layout,” “seating area,” and “barbecue area.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “Previously … but now” and a relative clause in “the take away food and coffee bar counter that lead…”. The overall meaning can generally be followed, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions remain. For example, “The plan’s given describes” has an incorrect sentence structure, while “there are variety of options” needs an article or plural form. In “the guest have the choice,” the subject and verb do not agree, and “that lead” does not agree with the singular noun “counter.” The opening sentence also shifts awkwardly between present and past forms. Build more controlled comparisons using accurate tense and agreement, and check articles, plurals and sentence boundaries before finishing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.