Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
The map compares the layout of a college cafe before it was redeveloped to how it looks in the present.
Overall, the cafe has undergone a significant transformation, the most observable change is the addition of an outdoor seating arrangement and the modification of the staff dining rooms.
Accoding to the first plan the cafe has underwent a redesign in the new plan, while the kitchen, toilets and the central seating area remain the same, the serving area which used to serve all food and drinks has been transformed into an area which provides only hot meals. As regards in the rooms where staff used to eat has been converted into an area where people can take away their food and cofee. The trash bin near the toilets has been mordernized into a recycling bin.
Subsequently, a new outdoor seating area has been added to the south side of the cafe along with a barbeque stall adjacent to it. Moreover, an additional salad bar have been added to the left of the central seating area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response gives a clear overview of the main transformation and reports several accurate comparisons: the kitchen, toilets and central seating remain, the serving counter now offers hot meals, and the former staff rooms have become takeaway and coffee facilities. It also identifies the new outdoor seating, barbecue and salad bar, so the key changes are covered. This supports a clear, relevant account of the plans. Some details are generalised: the two former staff rooms are described collectively, and the new coffee bar is not clearly distinguished from the takeaway area. The claim that the bin was “modernized” is also less precise than saying it was replaced by recycling bins. More exact descriptions of these features would strengthen an otherwise well-focused summary.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response is organised into an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, with a generally logical movement from the unchanged interior to the new outdoor facilities. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “As regards” and “Moreover” help signal relationships, and the reader can follow the comparison. However, some connections are awkward or mechanical: “According to the first plan” does not lead smoothly into the long sentence that follows, while “Subsequently” suggests a sequence in time rather than simply introducing another change. The sentence beginning “while the kitchen…” also combines several comparisons without clear separation. More controlled sentence boundaries and simpler, more precise transitions would make the progression smoother and approach consistently clear organisation.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
There is adequate vocabulary for describing the redesign, including “transformed,” “outdoor seating area,” “adjacent” and “recycling bin.” The writer also attempts a range of paraphrases rather than relying entirely on the labels in the plan. However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural for a map description: “modernized into a recycling bin” suggests the bin itself was upgraded, and “barbeque stall” is not the most accurate description of the barbecue area. Spelling errors such as “Accoding,” “cofee” and “mordernized” also reduce control. Use the plan’s precise terms where useful, and check spelling and collocations; this would make the vocabulary more accurate and flexible.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response attempts both simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “while” and clauses introduced by “which,” so there is some structural variety. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in verb forms and agreement are noticeable. For example, “the cafe has underwent” should be “the cafe has undergone,” and “an additional salad bar have been added” should be “has been added.” The sentence beginning “As regards in the rooms” is not grammatically well formed, and the opening overview joins two independent ideas with a comma. These issues make some sentences awkward, despite the overall message remaining understandable. Practise accurate present-perfect forms, subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries while retaining the attempts at complex structures.
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