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 plans illustrates a collage cafe before and it was redesigned and how it looks now.

It is clear that cafe was changed considerably with the introduction of recycling bin and tha main develpment is outdoor seating and barbecue place that attract more students.

Looking at the plans in more details, we can see that serving area have been convert into hot meals section and aslo added salad bar near to the hot meals section that is new thing add in cafe. Moreover, before two sections was used only for staff dining rooms, that utilize into new sections, take away food and coffee bar. Third thing is recycling bin that make cafe environmental friendly.

The significant development of collage cafe is outdoor seating that make more accessible to alllow more students to sit in cafe in one time, and also arrange a barbecue section that students utilize in special occasions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the new hot-meals counter, salad bar, repurposed staff rooms, recycling bins, and outdoor seating with a barbecue. The overview also recognises that the café changed considerably. However, the account is only partial: it does not mention that the kitchen and central tables remain, or that the toilets stay in the same place, and some details are unclear, such as where the salad bar is located. The claim that the barbecue will “attract more students” and that the outdoor area allows more students to sit at once is not shown by the plans. The response is also 142 words, below the 150-word minimum; the eight words copied from the prompt were not counted. Add accurate comparisons and avoid unsupported explanations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall shape: an introduction, a general overview, and paragraphs describing changes. Sequencing phrases such as “Looking at the plans” and “Moreover” help signal movement between points. However, progression is limited because several changes are listed without a clear grouping or consistent comparison between the two plans. “Third thing” is an awkward transition, and the final paragraph repeats the importance of outdoor seating rather than adding a distinct comparison. Some references are also unclear, for example “that utilize into new sections,” which makes it difficult to follow what replaced the staff rooms. Organise the body by areas or by what stayed and what changed, and use clearer links between each comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “serving area,” “hot meals,” “staff dining rooms,” “recycling bin,” and “outdoor seating.” This gives the reader a basic understanding of the redesign. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems make parts difficult to interpret: “collage cafe,” “main develpment,” “new thing add,” and “environmental friendly.” Some phrases are also imprecise, such as “barbecue place” and “utilize in special occasions.” Aim for accurate map vocabulary and natural collocations, and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “was replaced by,” “was converted into,” and “outdoor dining area” would help describe the changes clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, using connectors such as “with the introduction of” and “Moreover.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently in basic sentence formation, agreement, articles, and verb forms. For example, “The plans illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, while “serving area have been convert” contains errors in agreement and the passive verb form. “Before two sections was used” also has incorrect agreement and tense, and “that make more accessible” lacks a correctly formed verb phrase. These errors sometimes make relationships between ideas hard to follow. Practise accurate past and present passive forms, and build longer sentences only after checking each clause for a clear subject and verb.

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