Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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 maps illustrate the layout of a college cafe before and after a redesign.

Overall, the cafe underwent some significant redevelopment over the period, with several new facilities constructed, existing amenities expanded or replaced, some features relocated to defferent positions, while certain elements remain unchanged.

Regarding new contruction and modifications, the serving area replaced by hot meals facilities and the bin was changed to recycling bin. A new outdoor seating area was also built in the outside of the cafe along side a new salad bar and a barbecue both on the western side of the cafe. Additionally, staff dining rooms are devided into two new facilities, one is take away food and another is coffe bar in the exact location.

In terms of unchanged features, several features remained intact, including kitchen, tables and chairs, and toilets, There were not a single facilitie which have replaced or swapped by another element.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You provide a relevant overview, noting that the café was redeveloped and that the kitchen, central seating and toilets remain. You also identify several key changes, including the new hot-meals counter, recycling bins, takeaway and coffee facilities, and outdoor seating. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the staff dining rooms were replaced by the takeaway and coffee sections, rather than divided into them, and the salad bar is on the western interior wall, not outside. The barbecue is southwest of the building, but its position is not clearly described. The final claim that no facility was replaced or swapped contradicts your earlier account of the staff rooms being replaced. More precise comparisons and a clearer account of the main changes would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs grouping changes and unchanged features. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In terms of unchanged features” help signal the sections. However, the progression is weakened by the contradiction between saying the staff rooms were replaced and later claiming that no facility was replaced or swapped. Some information is also crowded into one sentence, particularly the sentence listing outdoor seating, the salad bar and barbecue, which makes their locations harder to follow. Use clearer sentence boundaries and organise the changes by location or by what was removed and added, with references that distinguish indoor from outdoor features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “layout,” “redevelopment,” “facilities,” “replaced” and “remained intact.” These choices help communicate the general comparison. However, several spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural expressions reduce accuracy, such as “defferent,” “contruction,” “devided” and “coffe.” Phrases including “built in the outside” and “in the exact location” are also awkward or vague for describing a plan. Aim for precise location language and accurate collocations, for example, “outside the café,” “along the western wall” and “in the same position.” Proofreading spelling and choosing terms that clearly distinguish replacement from addition would improve the clarity of your descriptions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview with “while” and a sentence beginning “Regarding new construction and modifications.” Most of the intended meaning can be understood, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. In “the serving area replaced by hot meals facilities,” the passive verb “was” is missing; “staff dining rooms are divided” also uses the wrong tense and does not express the replacement accurately. The sentence “There were not a single facilitie which have replaced” has problems with subject–verb agreement and verb form, and the comma after “toilets” creates a punctuation error. Practise accurate past-tense passive forms for changes, and check agreement and sentence boundaries when writing longer comparisons.

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