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 maps illustrate a college cafe before the reconstructed and how it looks after the construction.

Overall, it can be observed that there are many changes noticed after the construction of college cafe significantly..

To begin with, before and after construction of cafe, the outdoor seating added after the redesigned of cafe. Moreover, the staff dinning rooms changed into take away food and coffee bar. While the bin altered into the recycling bin, The salad bar also rebulit in cafe.

Furthermore, The kitchen did not change, but the serving area replaced into the hot meals. In addition, the barbe cue area added outside the cafe after the construction. Whereas, the table and chairs did not replaced and no changes can be noticed after the redesigned of cafe. Although the door attached near the barbe cue area, and the one door iserted near the toilets after the construction of cafe slightly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the conversion of the staff dining rooms into takeaway and coffee areas, the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue, and the unchanged kitchen and central tables. These details are generally relevant and match the plans. However, the overview is vague (“many changes noticed”) rather than summarising the main pattern of redesign, and some details are unclear or inaccurate: the salad bar was added, not “rebuilt,” and the plans show two new doors on the southern wall, not a door near the barbecue and another near the toilets. The serving counter’s change to hot meals is also worth reporting more precisely. Covering the main changes clearly, while developing the overview and checking locations, would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from changes to the seating and service areas, then to the kitchen and exterior, and the opening overview gives the reader a general topic. However, the progression is not consistently clear: “To begin with” introduces several unrelated changes, while “Furthermore” and “In addition” do not always show how the details relate. The contrast markers “While” and “Whereas” are also used awkwardly, and the final sentence combines door changes with an unclear comparison. Organise the report into a clear overview followed by grouped details—for example, internal changes first and outdoor additions second—and use linking words only where their relationship is accurate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “outdoor seating,” “staff dining rooms,” “recycling bin,” and “serving area,” so the reader can identify many features. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “before the reconstructed,” “after the construction,” “rebulit,” and “barbe cue.” Repeating “construction” and “cafe” also makes the description less precise. Use standard map language such as “before the redesign,” “was converted into,” and “was added,” and check spelling and collocations. More precise terms for locations and changes would help you describe the plans clearly without relying on repeated general wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning “While,” “but,” and “Although.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure and verb forms sometimes make relationships difficult to follow. For example, “the outdoor seating added” needs a passive verb (“was added”), while “the table and chairs did not replaced” requires “were not replaced.” The opening phrase “before the reconstructed” is also grammatically incomplete, and the final sentence beginning “Although” is not completed as a clear subordinate clause. Review passive forms for describing changes, articles, and sentence boundaries; then check that each contrast clause is attached to a complete main clause.

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