Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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 5.0)

The map shows two different designs of the cafe before the redesign and today how the cafe is like.

Overall, the cafe before redesign it had limited facilities whereas today's cafe has more arrangements and facilities.

The cafe before the redesign had staff dining rooms and with that it had a small serving area. However the cafe after the redesign has more outdoor seating with a barbecue, with that it had sections like salad bar, coffee bar and other sections. This also had a recycling bins for the waste and also it had hot meals.

In the cafe before redesign it had bins whereas in the cafe today it had recycling bins with that the cafe before redesign had very litlle sections, however in cafe today had differents bars like salad, coffee and hot meals. The main look on cafe today has a large outdoor seating and it also has a barbecue. The toilets remain the same in both the cafe that is before and after the redesign.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast between the earlier café’s more limited facilities and the redesigned café’s added services and outdoor seating. You also correctly note that the toilets remain in the same place, and mention the hot-meal counter, salad bar, coffee bar, recycling bins and barbecue. This gives a relevant overview and addresses the main change. However, some features are only listed rather than clearly compared, and important layout changes are underdeveloped: for example, the former staff dining rooms were replaced by takeaway and coffee sections, and new doors lead to the outdoor seating. Clarifying these relationships and describing where the additions are located would make the account more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, an overall summary and further detail, so there is some organisation. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the final two paragraphs repeat several points, including the bins, bars and outdoor seating. Linking phrases such as “with that” are used repeatedly and do not clearly show the relationship between ideas; the contrast introduced by “However” is also sometimes unclear. Group the information into a clear before-and-after comparison, and use each paragraph for a distinct purpose—for instance, first summarise the main changes, then describe the interior and outdoor additions. More precise referencing would also help readers follow which café or feature each sentence describes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “staff dining rooms”, “serving area”, “recycling bins”, “salad bar” and “outdoor seating”, which helps communicate the main features. However, the range is limited and several expressions are vague or repetitive, such as “more arrangements and facilities”, “other sections” and repeated uses of “cafe today”. Some word choices and forms are inaccurate, including “different designs” for the two plans and “a recycling bins”. Aim for more precise terms for the changes and avoid repeating the same general nouns. For example, describe the new facilities as additions or services, and refer to the former rooms as having been replaced by specific counters.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use contrast clauses, as in “The cafe before the redesign had staff dining rooms… However the cafe after the redesign…”. The main meaning is generally recoverable, but sentence structures are often awkward or incomplete. For example, “before redesign it had limited facilities” lacks a clear subject construction, while “in cafe today had differents bars” has problems with articles and verb structure. There are also agreement and number errors in “a recycling bins”, and the opening phrase “before the redesign and today how the cafe is like” is not grammatically controlled. Practise accurate simple comparison patterns first, then combine them with clauses such as “whereas” and “while”; check articles, verb forms and sentence boundaries.

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