Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The diagram shows the arrangements which were in cafe before compared with todays look. There is a very noticable change which is in the arrangement of kitchen and more use of every corner has been done.

In Overview, There was lack of proper order and unnecessary rooms were occupied. There is majour change in the main area where there are new things implemented and added bar and beans.

As in the kitchen and outer area , kitchen had serving area in it which is changed to hot meals now. and for the outer area opposite to kitchen 2 new doors are opening to outer sitting area and barbecue area on its left wall.

In the inner area in the middle of cafe there is no change , there are still tables and chairs at same place nut the been which was small is now biger recycling bean. Toilets are of same size and same place , 2 rooms which were used as dining room for staff are now take away food and cofee bar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the conversion of the serving counter to hot meals, the new outdoor seating and barbecue, and the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway food and a coffee bar. You also note that the central tables and chairs and the toilets remain in place. These details address the main comparison, but the overview is unclear: claims that the kitchen’s arrangement changed and that the old layout had “unnecessary rooms” are not supported by the plans. Some features are also imprecise or omitted, notably the new salad bar and the recycling bins’ location. To strengthen the response, give a clear overview of the main transformation and describe the key additions and unchanged features accurately, without subjective judgements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the kitchen, exterior and central area. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is weakened by unclear links and abrupt shifts: “As in the kitchen and outer area” does not clearly introduce the comparison, while “In the inner area in the middle of cafe” repeats the location without establishing how it relates to the previous paragraph. The overview also mixes general evaluation with specific changes. Use a more deliberate sequence—overview first, then describe the interior changes and the outdoor additions—and connect comparisons with clear references such as “whereas” and “by contrast.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “serving area,” “hot meals,” “tables and chairs,” and “outdoor seating,” so the reader can identify many of the features being compared. However, the range and precision are limited, and several word choices or spellings make the description less clear. “Beans” and “recycling bean” appear to refer to bins, while “bar and beans” does not accurately name the additions shown. Phrases such as “more use of every corner has been done” are also unnatural. Aim for precise plan vocabulary and standard spelling, and avoid evaluative wording such as “unnecessary rooms”; describe what the rooms were and what replaced them.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the main comparisons can generally be understood. However, errors in sentence construction, tense, articles and punctuation are frequent enough to make some passages difficult to follow. For example, “There is a very noticable change which is in the arrangement of kitchen” has an awkward clause structure and missing article, while “kitchen had serving area in it which is changed to hot meals now” shifts tense and does not form a clear comparison. Capitalisation after commas and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent. Practise writing complete, controlled comparison sentences, for example: “The serving counter has been replaced by a hot-meal counter, while the kitchen remains in the same position.”

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

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