Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-10

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 given two maps illustrates a college cafe before and after redesigned how it looks now.

According to the first map how looks college cafe before redesigned kitchen was situated in the north side. serving area was situated below the kitchen and provide all facilities like food and drink. while there was two staff dinning rooms together available along with kitchen. however, a vast place was covered with tables and chairs. On the other hand toilets is located on the south west corner. bin is situated near the toilets .

Now turning the details how cafe is look now after redesigning. kitchen has located on the same side. servicing area has been replaced into hot meals. while staff dinning room has been transformed into one room is take away and other room is transformed into coffee bar. however a salad bar is added in east side. tables and chairs remains same position. on the other hand toilets is available on south west corner. bin has increase the size. two new entrances added on the south side. barbeque area has located outside the entrance and large amount of seating available for the facility of visitors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main change from staff dining rooms to takeaway and coffee facilities, and note that the kitchen, central tables and toilets remain. However, several details are inaccurate or unclear: the toilets are in the south-east corner, not the south-west; the salad bar is on the western wall, not the east; and the recycling bins replace the bin rather than increase in size. The overview is also limited: it would be clearer to highlight the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue as major changes. Some features, such as the four outdoor tables and the new southern doors, are only vaguely reported. More precise comparisons and a concise overview would make the account more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible before-and-after order, using separate sections for the original café and its current layout. This gives the reader a basic framework for understanding the comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several points are joined with repeated connectors such as “while,” “however” and “on the other hand,” even when the relationship is not a contrast. The opening does not provide a clear overview, and the final details about the barbecue and seating are compressed together. Organise the response into an introduction, a brief overview, and paragraphs grouping internal and external changes; use linking phrases only where they clarify the relationship between features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “situated,” “replaced,” “transformed” and “entrances,” so the reader can generally identify the features being discussed. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which occasionally obscures the map details. For example, “bin has increase the size” does not describe the change shown: the bin is replaced by recycling bins. “Large amount of seating” is vague, and “servicing area” is not the clearest label for the former serving counter. Spelling and word-form errors such as “dinning” and “barbeque” also reduce control. Use precise plan vocabulary and check spelling and collocations when describing changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

There are attempts to combine ideas using clauses and contrast markers, but sentence structures are often faulty, and errors frequently make the description less clear. For example, “The given two maps illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, while “kitchen has located” and “tables and chairs remains” show problems with verb forms and agreement. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “serving area was situated below the kitchen and provide all facilities.” Several sentences begin with lowercase words after full stops, and punctuation around connectors is unreliable. Practise accurate simple past and present passive forms for map comparisons, such as “was located” and “has been added,” before attempting longer sentences.

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