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 compare the cafe of a college after it was newly developed in to a modern design vs how it looked before the current updated look.

Overall, the cafe is now following a modern day restuarant style, where newly partitions are made for different food bars with more entry points. Different bars are added with the new take away option available as well. Seating increased with a newly added tables and chairs. Old single kitchen cafe is now replaced where multiple types of food are now available to eat.

The old cafe has single entry point while there are three points developed into current cafe for better entrance and exit. Serving area (all food & drink) under kitchen have replaced with hot meals section only and a new seprate salad bar is build infront of it.

Staff dining rooms now giving modern option to take away the food and with this a coffee bar is added for students.Old cafe has only one bin now having more recylings bins. A live barbecue point for grilled food availabity is now developed. More tables and chairs are added to make outdoor seating for the visitors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main transformation and provide an overview: the café now has more specialised food and drink facilities, outdoor seating and a barbecue. You also accurately identify the change from the general serving area to hot meals, the new salad bar, and the conversion of staff dining rooms into takeaway and coffee sections. This gives the response a clear, relevant account of the plans. Some details, however, are unclear or inaccurate: the old café had two entrance doors on the east wall, not a single entry point, and the new plan adds two southern doors rather than creating three entrance points overall. The claim that the kitchen was replaced is also incorrect; it remains in the same corner. More precise comparisons of what stayed unchanged, such as the central seating area and toilets, would make the coverage more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, an overview and two paragraphs describing changes. The sequence from general changes to specific facilities is broadly understandable, and phrases such as “now” and “with this” help signal comparison. However, progression is not consistently clear: the second paragraph moves from entrances to the serving counter, while the final paragraph combines staff rooms, bins, barbecue and seating without a clear spatial or thematic order. Some links are awkward or unclear, including “Staff dining rooms now giving modern option” and “Old cafe has only one bin now having more recylings bins.” Organise details by area—for example, interior changes first and outdoor additions second—and use explicit comparison links such as “whereas” and “in addition” to make relationships easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of task-related vocabulary, including “partitions,” “take away,” “salad bar,” “recycling bins” and “outdoor seating,” which helps convey the redesign. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, and some spelling errors are noticeable: “newly developed in to a modern design,” “live barbecue point,” “food availabity,” and “recylings bins.” “Single kitchen cafe” also does not clearly describe the original plan. These choices sometimes make the intended meaning harder to interpret, particularly when describing the kitchen and entrances. Aim for precise map vocabulary and standard forms, such as “the kitchen remains,” “a barbecue area was added,” and “additional seating was provided.” Check spelling and avoid informal or vague expressions such as “modern day restaurant style.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “where newly partitions are made” and a comparison using “while.” However, control is uneven, and errors in sentence structure, verb forms, articles and agreement frequently make the description difficult to read. For example, “where newly partitions are made” lacks a clear grammatical connection, while “Staff dining rooms now giving” is missing a finite verb. “Seating increased with a newly added tables” has problems with tense, article use and number agreement. The opening sentence is also difficult to parse because of its construction around “after” and “vs.” Use straightforward past and present forms consistently to compare the plans, and check that each sentence has a clear subject and verb before adding more complex clauses.

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