Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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 6.5)

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

Overall, the cafe has underwent substantial changes including the replacement of food and drink service area and staff dining rooms. In addition, the barbecue stall and outdoor seating was introduced. While, the kitchen and toilets remained in the same position.

In the original layout, the kitchen was situates in the north-western corner of the cafe with the food and drink service area just opposite it. The Staff dinning rooms was occupied the northern side of the cafe. Tables and chairs were located in the central area of the cafe. While, a bin was located in the eastern side. The toilets was positioned in the eastern corner of the cafe.

Following the redevelopment, the former food and drink service area was replaced by a hot meals stall. The staff dinning rooms was also replaced by take away food area and coffee bar. The original bin was replaced with the recycling bin. Moreover, the college cafe expanded and introduced a salad bar in the western side of the cafe and a barbecue stall with out door seating at the out side of the cafe. In the meanwhile, the kitchen, tables and chairs and the toilets retained their original position.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response addresses the main changes and gives a clear overview: the service area and staff dining rooms were repurposed, outdoor seating and a barbecue were added, and the kitchen and toilets stayed in place. Most locations are reported accurately, including the central seating and the eastern recycling-bin position. This is a well-selected account of the plans, with relevant comparisons rather than a room-by-room inventory. A few details are imprecise: the hot-meals counter replaced the former serving area, but describing it as a “stall” may suggest a separate structure; the outdoor area is south of the cafe, with the barbecue to its south-west. More precise spatial descriptions and a clearer distinction between the new facilities would make the account more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The four-paragraph structure is effective: an introduction is followed by an overview, then the original and redesigned layouts are described in turn. This gives the reader a clear progression, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Following the redevelopment,” and “Moreover” help connect the comparisons. However, some transitions are awkward or unnecessary. “While,” at the start of a sentence fragment in the overview and original-layout paragraph, does not create a complete contrast, and “In the meanwhile” is not a natural way to introduce the final comparison. The repeated pattern of listing features also makes parts of the report feel slightly mechanical. Use complete contrast clauses and vary how related changes are grouped to make cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for describing a plan and includes useful location and change language, such as “north-western corner,” “replaced,” “retained,” and “redevelopment.” These choices make the main comparisons understandable. There is some attempt at more specific wording, but several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for a floor plan: “barbecue stall” and “expanded and introduced” do not clearly describe the barbecue area and outdoor seating, while “opposite” is not the clearest description of the serving area’s position. Spelling and word-form slips, including “dinning” and “out side,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise plan vocabulary such as “counter,” “area,” “along the western wall,” and “to the south of the building,” and check compound words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a range of sentence forms, including an overview with contrast and several sentences using passive constructions. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction are frequent enough to limit grammatical control. Examples include “has underwent” instead of “has undergone,” “the kitchen was situates,” and “the staff dining rooms was also replaced.” The opening “While,” in the overview and “While, a bin…” create incomplete or incorrectly punctuated clauses. There are also agreement problems in “the barbecue stall and outdoor seating was introduced” and “The toilets was positioned.” Review past participles, subject–verb agreement, and how to attach subordinate clauses; accurate control of these basics would make the varied structures more effective.

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