Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 provided map demonstrates a development change in the college cafe by adding some new departments for the betterment of the ambiance.

Overall,the cafe design was very simple before the redesign,whereas one serving area in front of kitchen may cause long queues.

Futhermore,a redesigning process made a significant change in cafe's look by adding hot meals section infront of kitchen,while replacing one serving area

On the other hand,staff dining rooms was replaced with take away food or coffee bar sections.Whereas tables and chairs,toilets or recycling area was same as before.

After that,two newly added section comes one is salad bar indoor and the other one is barbecue which is outdoor both of them were on the right wall along with very vast outdoor seating area.

Subsquently,changing a complete ambiance of the college cafe or the overall feel of the place by adding outdoor seating area for both the students and staff.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast between the simpler original café and the redesigned one, and mention several relevant changes, including the hot-meals counter, replacement of the staff dining rooms, salad bar and outdoor seating. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the barbecue is south-west of the building, not on the right wall, and the recycling bins replace the single bin rather than an “area” that stayed the same. The overview also introduces an unsupported claim that the serving area may cause long queues, while the key overall changes—new food-service facilities and expansion outdoors—could be stated more clearly. Several features, such as the unchanged kitchen and toilets, are noted only briefly. Select the main changes accurately and explain their locations more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some paragraphing and attempts to guide the reader with phrases such as “Overall,” “On the other hand,” and “After that.” It also moves broadly from the original layout to changes in the redesigned café. However, progression is not consistently clear: “Furthermore” and “On the other hand” do not establish precise relationships between the points, and “After that” suggests a sequence in time rather than describing locations on a plan. The final sentence repeats the idea of changing the café’s ambience instead of adding a distinct comparison. Organise the report into a clear overview followed by grouped details—for example, changes inside the café and additions outside—and use linking expressions only when their meaning fits.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of task-related vocabulary, including “redesign,” “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “salad bar” and “outdoor seating,” so the reader can recognise many of the features. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing a plan: “development change,” “departments,” “betterment of the ambiance” and “changing a complete ambiance” are not suitable descriptions of the layout. There are also noticeable spelling and form errors, including “Futhermore,” “infront” and “Subsquently.” Prefer direct, precise terms such as “facilities,” “counter,” “was converted into” and “was added.” Accurate location vocabulary would also help distinguish the barbecue from the outdoor seating.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple statements and longer clauses, including a contrast with “whereas” and a sentence beginning “On the other hand.” However, complex structures are often incomplete or faulty, and errors in agreement and sentence construction recur. For example, “staff dining rooms was replaced” needs plural agreement, while “two newly added section comes” has errors in both number and verb form. The sentence beginning “Subsquently, changing…” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Punctuation and spacing also need attention, as in “Overall,the” and the comma splice-like run-on in the overview. Build complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then check agreement, articles and punctuation.

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