Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

As we can see, the cafe was redesigned and became more sufficient due to its smart changes.

From the given maps, we can observe that the serving area is now converted to a hot meal place where people would receive hot foods. After that, when someone pass by that door which is located by the new hot meals place will notice a new salad bar just in front of him/her. Then after going left to the old staff dining room, it will be a surprise because it is now a take away food zone and a new coffee bar separately. After coming out of these rooms, on the left the big recycle bin is now a ordinary trash bin and near the toilet there is a new door which go to the new barbecue site with a very big outdoor siting arrangement.

Although, some changes were made but the kitchen, dining room and the toilets remains at the same place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the conversion of the serving area to hot meals, the addition of a salad bar, the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee areas, and the new outdoor facilities. You also note that the kitchen and toilets remain in place. However, the overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the main pattern of redesign. Some details are inaccurate: the bin became recycling bins, not an ordinary trash bin, and the new southern doors lead to outdoor seating; the barbecue is outside to the south-west, rather than being reached by a door near the toilets. The central tables and chairs also remain. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons would make the account more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression from changes inside the café to the outdoor area, and the final sentence attempts to summarise what stayed the same. However, the description is organised as a sequence of imagined movements—“when someone pass by,” “Then after going left,” and “After coming out”—rather than as a clear comparison of the two plans. This makes some relationships and locations difficult to follow. The opening gives a general comment but does not function as a concise overview. Use separate paragraphs for the overall changes and for the main internal and external details, and connect features by location or by before-and-after comparison. This would create clearer progression and reduce reliance on repetitive sequencing words.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, such as “serving area,” “hot meals,” “salad bar,” “take away food,” and “outdoor seating,” so the reader can recognise many of the facilities. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing a plan: “more sufficient,” “hot meal place,” “big recycle bin,” and “siting arrangement.” “Trash bin” also misidentifies the labelled recycling bins. The conversational phrases “it will be a surprise” and “in front of him/her” are not suitable for a formal map summary. Aim for concise, neutral terms such as “was converted into,” “was replaced by,” and “an outdoor seating area with tables.” Check spelling and word forms, including “recycling” and “seating,” to improve precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer clauses, including “Although, some changes were made but…” and the sentence beginning “After that.” However, some sentence structures are awkward or inaccurate, and the long sequence of actions makes control harder to maintain. For example, “when someone pass” needs subject–verb agreement, while “the toilets remains” should use a plural verb. The final sentence also combines “Although” and “but” unnecessarily. In “a new door which go,” the verb should agree with “door.” Use past and present forms consistently to compare the plans, and favour direct constructions such as “The serving area was replaced by a hot-meals counter.” This will let you show complex structures while keeping the grammar clear.

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