Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 diagrams illustrate the old design of the cafe and after the redevelopment. It Shows significant changes are coverd in redevelopment phase that cafe is now developed in structured way.

Overall the diagrams gives the information of old cafe which has only small kitchen with attached Serving area to customers. A hallway where the seating area, staff dining rooms, Toilets and a trash bin all located in the same hall. And after the redesign a Salad bar , coffee bar and a Barbecue area is alloted to the caf e.

Before the development a small cafe having a small kitchen and a single serving area for all items. The dining for staff is in the same hall and in South east of the building a toilet besides the Bin.

After the redevelopment the overall cafe design is enhanced. The kitchen is extended along their is option for hot meals, a Salad bar is developed in hallway and in the south east side the toilets remain same along side new recycle bins are instaled. Tables and chairs are in the middle as it is along the north side a coffee bar and a take away food rooms. Barbecue area is aloted in South which having outdoor seating for enjoyment. Overall cafe is very much enhanced and more options are now availables.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main purpose of the plans and report several important changes, including the new salad bar, coffee bar, takeaway area, recycling bins and outdoor seating with a barbecue. You also correctly note that the toilets and central tables remain. This gives a relevant overview, but some details are unclear or inaccurate: the kitchen is said to be “extended,” although the plan shows it remaining in the upper-left, and the outdoor seating is to the south rather than simply “in South.” The overview also describes the old café as having a “small kitchen,” which is not a meaningful comparison shown by the plans. To strengthen the response, distinguish more clearly between what stayed the same and what was added or repurposed, and describe the locations precisely. Some features are covered more fully than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the café before and after redesign. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to track, particularly in the long final paragraph, where the kitchen, salad bar, toilets, seating, north-side facilities and outdoor area are presented in quick succession. Linking phrases such as “Overall” are repeated, while connections between ideas are often missing or unclear. The sentence beginning “A hallway where…” is also a fragment, interrupting the flow. Grouping information by location or by unchanged versus new features, and using clearer transitions such as “In contrast” and “Meanwhile,” would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “redevelopment,” “serving area,” “seating area,” “recycling bins” and “outdoor seating.” These terms show an adequate range for the task, and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are imprecise or informal: “trash bin” is less suitable than “bin” here, “alloted to the cafe” does not clearly describe a facility being added, and “enhanced” and “more options” are vague evaluations rather than precise descriptions. Spelling errors such as “coverd,” “instaled” and “availables” also reduce accuracy. Aim for neutral, location-focused language and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and the reader can usually understand the comparison. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, with errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles and verb forms. For example, “The diagrams gives” has subject–verb disagreement, while “A hallway where the seating area…” is an incomplete sentence. The opening phrase “It Shows significant changes are coverd” also lacks a clear grammatical structure. In the final paragraph, “the kitchen is extended along their is option” combines clauses incorrectly, and “which having outdoor seating” is not a complete relative clause. Practise writing complete sentences with one clear main clause, then add accurate subordinate clauses to show relationships between features.

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