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 picture shows a comparison of a college cafe looked like before it was redesigned and how the cafe looks today.

Overall, They introduced a seperate barbecue area and a salad bar, barbecue area is designed outside the cafe before it was included in the same kitchen area. Also, a new outdoor setting has designed for customers. Staff dining rooms were redesigned into a take away food area and a coffe bar. While the other sides remained almost same.

As per picture plan, their was a huge difference where the staff dining rooms were replaced to a seperate take away food corner and a coffee bar. Wheras, the barbecue corner was shifted outside the cafe before their was no seperate space for it, and it was included in the kitchen area. There is also an ddition to outdoor sitting for customers.

There is a slightest change in servining area which is now just designed for hot meals. There is also an addition to a salad bar in the area of tables and chairs. While the other areas remaiming the same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several major changes, including the new outdoor seating, the barbecue, the salad bar, and the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee areas. You also note that the serving counter now provides hot meals and that much of the layout remains similar. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the barbecue was not previously part of the kitchen, and the plans show it newly located outside to the south-west. The overview also says the other sides remained almost the same, but does not mention the recycling bins replacing the bin or the toilets remaining in place. Select the main changes accurately and distinguish them from features that stayed unchanged.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, an overview, and further description, so the reader can identify the general purpose. However, progression is weak because the same changes are repeated: the staff rooms becoming takeaway and coffee areas, and the outdoor seating and barbecue, appear in both the overview and the next paragraph. Linking words such as “Also,” “Whereas,” and “While” are sometimes used awkwardly or leave relationships unclear. For example, “While the other areas remaiming the same” is an incomplete closing thought. Organise the details into a clearer sequence—perhaps changes inside first, then additions outside—and use references and connectors only where they clarify comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “redesigned,” “staff dining rooms,” “take away food,” “coffee bar,” and “outdoor seating.” This gives the response a workable range, but several inaccurate or misspelled choices reduce precision. “Outdoor setting” and “outdoor sitting” are not the intended facility; “outdoor seating” is the appropriate phrase. “Seperate” and “coffe” are spelling errors, while “corner” is imprecise for the labelled food areas. The repeated use of “area” and “same” also limits variety. Aim for accurate plan vocabulary such as “counter,” “section,” “remain unchanged,” and “be converted into,” checking spelling and collocation carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons with “While” and “whereas,” and the main message is generally understandable. However, some sentence structures and verb forms are faulty. For example, “a new outdoor setting has designed” needs a passive construction (“has been added/designed”), and “before it was included” does not clearly express the comparison with the former layout. “The picture shows a comparison of a college cafe looked like” is also structurally incomplete; use “shows what the café looked like.” There are further errors in articles, agreement, and punctuation, such as the capitalised “They” after a comma and the fragment beginning “While the other areas…”. Build complete sentences and check passive forms and clause connections.

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