Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

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 illustrate the college cafe old and new look after it is refurbished.

The overall look of college cafe after construction looks gorgeous with multiple changes in kitchen section,staff dining rooms section,tables and chairs section and outside,infront of the cafe.

In kitchen they have replaced the Serving areas with hot meals.The staff dining rooms have been rebuild in two separate rooms, one is take away food room and other one is coffee bar room.A new salad bar portion is introduced at east-south centre in tables and chairs hall.The bin area is replace by the recycling bins.Infront of the College Cafe,outdoor seating is arranged and on the left side of the college cafe barbecue section has been made.There are 3 tables with 6 chairs,3 chiars on each side of table,for maximum 6 peoples and 2 tables with 2 chairs on each side of table,maximum 4 can sit on that table.

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 addition of takeaway and coffee facilities, recycling bins, and outdoor seating with a barbecue. These details show a relevant understanding of the plans. However, some locations are inaccurate: the salad bar is on the western wall, not in the “east-south centre,” and the barbecue is to the south-west rather than simply “on the left.” The description of the staff rooms as rebuilt into two rooms is also unclear, since they were replaced by takeaway and coffee sections. The overview mainly calls the redesign “gorgeous” rather than summarising its main pattern. Focus on the major functional changes and describe the layout more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible order, moving from the kitchen and former staff rooms to the central area and then outside. Linking phrases such as “In kitchen,” “The bin area,” and “Infront of the College Cafe” help signal the topics. However, the information is presented as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. Some transitions are abrupt, and the long final sentence combines several table and chair counts without making their relationship to the plan easy to follow. Use a short overview followed by organised paragraphs for interior changes and outdoor additions, and use clear references such as “the former staff rooms” to make the progression easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a café plan, including “serving areas,” “hot meals,” “recycling bins,” and “outdoor seating.” These terms communicate several key features. However, some word choices and collocations are imprecise or informal for an academic report: “gorgeous” is an opinion rather than a neutral description, and “room” is not the clearest term for the takeaway and coffee sections. There are also spelling errors such as “chiars,” alongside awkward phrases including “old and new look” and “infront.” Aim for precise, neutral language that describes changes and locations, and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer structures, for example, “The staff dining rooms have been rebuild in two separate rooms, one is take away food room and other one is coffee bar room.” This shows an effort to combine related information, but the sentence contains errors in verb form, articles, and clause structure. Other examples include “The diagram illustrate” and “The bin area is replace,” where subject–verb agreement and verb forms are inaccurate. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent in phrases such as “in kitchen” and “maximum 6 peoples.” Most ideas remain understandable, but these errors recur and sometimes make relationships between features unclear. Practise accurate past and present passive forms, and divide complex descriptions into shorter, correctly punctuated sentences.

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