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 diagram outlines the stages of the college cafe, before it was redesigned and how it looks now. Let's talk about the college cafe before redesign, there was a kitchen and serving area was below the kitchen where all food and drink was served. If we take a loof at other area there was staff dining rooms located in the centre of the cafe and there was tables and chairs around the staff dining rooms. The bin was located on the back side of cafe and toilets was outside of the cafe.

If we talk about today's cafe, the cafe is more enhance and augment. Kitchen is located on the same place but serving area is replaced by hot meals. And staff dining rooms are replaced by take away food and a coffee bar. Table and chairs are same but salad bar is added at west side of the cafe in the corner. Recycling bins and toilets are same as it was but the number of bins has been augment. Barbecue is also added and outdoor seating is introduced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several key changes, including the kitchen remaining in place, the new hot-meal counter, the replacement of the staff dining rooms, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. However, the account is only partly accurate and does not give a clear overview of the main transformation. The staff dining rooms were along the north wall, not in the centre, and the toilets were inside the café, not outside. The central tables and chairs remain, but their position is not described clearly. The claim that the number of recycling bins has increased is unsupported. To make the report more complete, accurately compare the layout and highlight the major additions and unchanged features.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable before-and-after structure, and phrases such as “If we talk about today’s cafe” help signal the shift to the present plan. The main points are generally grouped by time period, so the reader can follow the broad comparison. However, the repeated conversational openings (“Let’s talk about” and “If we talk about”) make the progression somewhat mechanical, and several details are joined in long sentences with limited punctuation. For example, the first paragraph moves from the kitchen to staff rooms, seating, the bin and toilets without clear spatial grouping. Organise each paragraph around areas of the plan and use concise linking phrases to make comparisons clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant layout vocabulary, including “located,” “replaced,” “west side,” and “outdoor seating,” which helps communicate the changes. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “More enhance and augment” does not clearly describe the redesign, while “the number of bins has been augment” is both an unsuitable claim and an awkward expression. “Back side” is vague for a plan, and “loof” is a spelling error. Aim for precise terms such as “north wall,” “eastern side,” “added,” and “remains unchanged.” Avoid using elaborate words when a simple, accurate verb better describes the layout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the basic comparison using simple sentences and some joined clauses, but the range of structures is limited and errors recur. In “there was a kitchen and serving area was below the kitchen,” the clauses need clearer grammatical connection, such as “there was a kitchen, with the serving area below it.” There are also agreement and article problems in “toilets was outside” and “Table and chairs are same.” The sentence beginning “If we take a loof at other area” also lacks an article and has an awkward clause structure. Use consistent past tense for the former plan and present tense for the current one, and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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