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 given plan shows the evolution of college cafe. It highlights the significant changes.

Previously, cafe had a plenty of area for tables and chairs. In that particular area, there is two staff dining rooms. There is toilets area, opposite staff dining room after bin area which was situated next to the entrance of the cafe. There is a big kitchen, at next to the staff dining room, and that kitchen consist a serving area also for all food and drinks.

After the renovation, the college cafe extends their area. Now the cafe offers outdoor seating with barbecue area. There is the addition of salad bar in tables and chairs area, located in front of kitchen. Staff dining rooms has been replaced by take away food area and coffee bar. The small bin area is now expanding, that area consists multiple recycling bins. Also, serving area is now replaced by hot meals area.

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 the café gains outdoor seating and a barbecue. You also note the change from a general serving area to hot meals and from a bin to recycling bins. These are relevant comparisons and give the response a clear focus. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the salad bar is described as being “in tables and chairs area” and “in front of kitchen,” whereas it is along the western wall. The account also omits the two new southern doors and the layout of the outdoor tables, while the overview that the café “extends their area” could be more precise. Covering these features more accurately and systematically would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence, moving from the former layout to the redesigned café, and the paragraph break helps distinguish the two stages. Linking phrases such as “Previously” and “After the renovation” make the comparison easy to follow. However, the first paragraph’s spatial relationships are difficult to interpret: “opposite staff dining room after bin area” does not clearly explain where the toilets are, and “at next to” makes the kitchen’s position unclear. The second paragraph also lists changes without consistently guiding the reader around the plan. Use clearer location phrases and organise each paragraph by area—for example, north, west, centre, then south—to make the progression more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “renovation,” “outdoor seating,” “recycling bins,” and “replaced,” so the reader can understand the main changes. There is some useful variation in how you refer to facilities. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “a plenty of area,” “evolution of college cafe,” and “the small bin area is now expanding.” “Area” is also repeated frequently, and “big kitchen” is imprecise for a plan description. Aim for more natural, specific expressions such as “a large seating area,” “the café’s layout,” and “the single bin was replaced by recycling bins.” Greater precision and more consistent collocation would improve the description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can generally follow the comparison between the two plans. However, errors in articles, agreement, verb forms and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “there is two staff dining rooms” should use a plural verb, while “that kitchen consist a serving area” has both agreement and verb-pattern problems. “Staff dining rooms has been replaced” also requires plural agreement, and “the college cafe extends their area” has an unclear subject–pronoun relationship. Some location phrases, including “at next to,” are not grammatically formed. Practise accurate present and past descriptions, subject–verb agreement, and article use; then check each sentence for a clear subject and complete verb pattern.

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