Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-17

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 map illustrate the before and after reconsturction of college cafe.

Overall, the old college cafe has less facilites as compare to now. The renewed cafe has more options of beavrages and meals. It also have new entrance and some of the location were changed to new locations.

In old cafe their was a entrance at north-south side, when we get in we saw a staff dinning rooms in old map. But cafe today it was take away food and coffee bar is built. Then their was a serving area which change to hot meals section. However the bin was upgraded to recycling bins. Toilets was at the same place it was not replace. Moreover, the new entrance after the toilets was built.

In contrast, they build new options for the menu like, salad bar and barbecue. In newly expanded area they built barbecue and outdoor seating tables and chair is install. In previous cafe it has only one open and exit, but now it has two.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main change from staff dining rooms to takeaway and coffee facilities, and note the hot-meal counter, salad bar, recycling bins, toilets and new outdoor area. The overview also recognises that the redesigned café offers more facilities. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the new entrance is described as being “after the toilets,” whereas the two new doors are on the southern wall and lead to outdoor seating. The comparison of entrances is also confusing: the original plan has an entrance on the eastern wall, while the redesign adds southern doors. The barbecue and outdoor seating are mentioned, but their locations and the central seating area could be described more precisely. Overall, the key changes are covered, though some are less fully explained than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs describing changes. This gives the reader a basic route through the comparison, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In contrast” signal relationships between ideas. However, progression within the body paragraphs is not always clear. The description jumps from the northern rooms to the serving area and then to the bin and toilets, while “In contrast” introduces additions rather than a clear contrast. References such as “their” and “it” can also make it difficult to identify which feature is meant. Grouping changes by location—for example, the north and west first, then the east and south—and using more precise linking and referencing would make the account easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “serving area,” “recycling bins,” “salad bar” and “outdoor seating.” These terms help communicate the main facilities. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision, including “reconsturction,” “facilites,” “beavrages,” “dinning” and “open and exit.” Phrases such as “new options for the menu” and “built to new locations” are also imprecise for describing changes to a café layout. Aim to use accurate terms for facilities and spatial changes, such as “added,” “replaced,” “relocated” and “entrance/exit,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the description more natural and easier to interpret.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “However” and a time clause beginning “when we get in.” Nevertheless, errors in sentence structure, tense and agreement occur often enough to make some relationships unclear. For example, “The map illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, while “Toilets was at the same place” has an agreement error. The sentence “But cafe today it was take away food and coffee bar is built” has an unclear structure and inconsistent tense. There are also problems with articles and plural forms, as in “a entrance” and “tables and chair is install.” Use consistent past and present forms to compare the plans, and practise complete, clearly structured sentences with accurate agreement.

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