Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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 depicts two different layout a college cafe that recently underwent a renovation.

It is evident from the chart that the staff dining rooms are now converted into two seperate fooding venues namely, take away food and a coffee bar. Whereas , an outdoor seating area with barbecue has been introduced in the renovated plan.

The layout of the cafe was particulary different before the redesigning took place, the kitchen area is much similar in the newer design ,though the serving area for food and beverages has now been changed to serving only hot meals. Moreover the rooms dedicated to staff dining space has now converted to collect take away food and a coffe bar. At the end of the main hall the salad bar has been introduced in the renovated plan. The Bin has now replaced with a larger recycling bin.

The outdoor space has been utlisied in the resigned plan. An outdoor seating arrangement is introduced along with the barbecue on the side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main transformation: the former staff dining rooms become takeaway and coffee facilities, and outdoor seating with a barbecue is added. You also note that the kitchen remains and that the serving counter now offers hot meals, so the response addresses the key changes and gives a relevant overview. Some details, however, are unclear or inaccurate: the salad bar is described as being “at the end of the main hall,” rather than along the western wall, and the recycling bins are not shown as larger. The comparison would be more complete if you mentioned that the toilets and central tables-and-chairs area remain, and described the new southern doors and outdoor tables. These omissions and less precise details limit the coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an overview to changes inside the café and then to the outdoor area. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression within the main body is uneven: the second paragraph shifts from the kitchen to staff rooms, then to the salad bar and bin without a clear spatial or comparative sequence. Linking is also sometimes awkward or mechanical, as in “Whereas” beginning a separate sentence and “Moreover” introducing a point already mentioned. The repeated references to the renovated plan do not always clarify how features relate to one another. Group the changes by location and use clear comparisons such as “while,” “in contrast,” and “remained unchanged” to make the account easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “renovated,” “introduced,” “serving area,” and “outdoor seating arrangement.” These choices communicate the general nature of the changes, and you attempt some less common wording. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “different layout a college cafe,” “fooding venues,” and “utilisied in the resigned plan.” Spelling errors in “seperate,” “particulary,” and “coffe” also reduce precision. The phrase “larger recycling bin” adds a size claim not supported by the plan. Aim for accurate, conventional map language and check spelling; precise terms such as “converted into,” “located along,” and “replaced by recycling bins” would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and a longer sentence describing the kitchen and serving counter. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and verb forms occur in several places. For example, “two different layout a college cafe” lacks the correct plural and linking structure, while “the rooms … has now converted” needs a plural verb and a passive form. “The Bin has now replaced” also omits the auxiliary needed for the passive. Punctuation is sometimes faulty, including the comma before “though” and the fragment-like “Whereas” sentence. Practise accurate passive constructions and agreement, and punctuate contrast clauses as part of complete sentences.

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