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 plans below shows the two designs old and new of the same college cafe and compares its looks before and after its redesign.

As compre to old cafe the one has some new sections added to it. Section for hot meals, take away food, coffee bar, salad bar, recycling bins, barbecuea and outdoor seating has been made.

In top left corner there was serving area which is now replaced with hot meals section.On left side of main hall now there is a salad bar which was not there before redesign. Tables and chairs reamined at the same place.

Two new doors are now introducedin the cafe one open up in outdoor seating on left side and the other one open up in main hall just before toilet. Take away food section and coffee bar took place of staff dining hall. Bin next to toilet is now replaced by recycle bins. Old cafe lacked outdoor seating which is now there in the cafe and along with it on left side one section is dedicated for barbecue.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main change from staff dining rooms to takeaway and coffee facilities, and cover several additions, including the salad bar, recycling bins, barbecue and outdoor seating. You also note that the central tables and chairs and the toilets remain. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the new southern doors lead to outdoor seating, not one door into the main hall, and the outdoor area is not described as being on the left. The hot-meals counter replaces the former serving area, rather than a section in the top-left corner itself. A clearer overview of the major changes, followed by accurate location comparisons, would make the report more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible order, moving from the overall redesign to changes inside the café and then the outdoor area. This gives the reader a general sense of the comparison. However, it is presented as one paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. Some links are awkward or unclear, such as “As compre to old cafe” and “Two new doors are now introducedin the cafe,” while repeated use of “now” makes the progression feel mechanical. Organise the report into a brief overview and two detail paragraphs, and use clear location-based transitions such as “Along the northern wall” and “Outside the southern entrance”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the plan, including “redesign,” “salad bar,” “recycling bins,” “outdoor seating” and “barbecue,” so the main features are generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate: “compares its looks” is unnatural, “section for hot meals” is less precise than “hot-meals counter,” and “took place of” should be “replaced.” Spelling and word-form errors such as “compre,” “barbecuea,” “reamined” and “recycle bins” also reduce clarity and control. Build a more precise set of terms for describing plan changes and check spelling carefully; this will help you report locations and replacements more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, for example, “Tables and chairs reamined at the same place” and the sentence beginning “Take away food section and coffee bar…”. However, errors occur often enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “The plans below shows,” missing or incorrect articles in “the one has some new sections,” and faulty sentence construction in “Two new doors are now introducedin the cafe one open up…”. Tense and agreement also need attention in “section … has been made.” Use past tense for the former plan and present tense for the current one, and separate joined clauses with appropriate punctuation. More accurate sentence patterns would make your comparisons easier to understand.

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

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