Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The two diagrams illustrate the cafe before and after at the college and it was redesigned and looks now.

Overakk, the cafe changed in the minor ways such as the outdoor seating or dtaf dining rooms.

Moreover, the cafe layout before, the kitchen or serving area such as food and drink are located in the north-east corner. The staff dining rooms are merged on the north side and a toilet is located in the south-east corner. A bin also available in the cafe is located on the north side near the toilet. The tables and chairs are located in the centre of the cafe before.

In the above, the small changes to the cafe after redesigned such as outdoor seating or barbecue is available on the south side. The food and coffee bar are separated into the two rooms. The kitchen and hot meals are located on the north side. The salad bar is also available on thr east side of the cafe after, and the recycling bins are located on the west side. The table and chairs are also available in the centre of the cafe near coffee bar and takeaway food.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the before-and-after comparison and mention several relevant features, including the kitchen, seating, toilets, food counters and new outdoor area. However, the overview is unclear and inaccurate: calling the changes “minor” overlooks the substantial redesign, especially the new outdoor seating and barbecue and the replacement of staff dining rooms. Several locations are misreported: the kitchen is in the north-west, not north-east; the bin/recycling bins are on the eastern side, not north; and the salad bar is on the western, not eastern, wall. The response therefore covers the task only partially, with important features and comparisons under-developed. Give a clear overview of the main changes, then describe the key alterations accurately by location.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has separate paragraphs for an introduction, overview and descriptions of the two layouts, so there is some basic organisation. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview is vague and the body paragraphs do not consistently distinguish the original plan from the current one. Phrases such as “In the above” do not clearly connect ideas, while repeated use of “Moreover” and “also” makes the linking mechanical. Some sentences combine several features without a clear relationship, such as the sentence about the bin and toilet. Organise the report into a clear overview followed by a comparison of the main internal changes and the new outdoor facilities, using precise references such as “before the redesign” and “in the current layout”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “kitchen,” “staff dining rooms,” “tables and chairs,” “recycling bins” and “outdoor seating.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the description less clear. “Overakk” appears to be an unsuccessful attempt at “Overall,” while “dtaf” and “thr” are spelling errors. The phrase “changed in the minor ways” is unnatural and understates the redesign; “the cafe layout before” and “the small changes to the cafe after redesigned” are also awkward. Use accurate plan vocabulary and collocations, such as “was converted into,” “was replaced by,” and “along the western wall,” to describe changes more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates some basic information through simple sentences, but the range of sentence structures is limited and errors occur frequently. The opening sentence, “The two diagrams illustrate the cafe before and after at the college and it was redesigned and looks now,” has an unclear structure and inconsistent verb forms. Other examples include “The staff dining rooms are merged,” where the tense and meaning are not expressed accurately, and “The food and coffee bar are separated into the two rooms,” which has agreement and sentence-structure problems. Articles and prepositions are also often missing or awkward, as in “A bin also available in the cafe.” Practise forming clear past-versus-present comparisons, with accurate subject–verb agreement and complete clauses.

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