Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given figures compares the outlook of a college cafeteria before and after of its renovation.

The design of cafe before its changes shows a minimalistic area with enclosed sitting and working counters which is then redesigned with additional serving of different categories like salad and coffee bars along with take aways and hot meals. There is also an outdoor area with seating and barbeque setup as well.

There has been no changes done with the kitchen, toilets and indoor seating. The seperated area allocated for staff dining is replaced with coffee bar and take away food after the refurnishing of cafe. Also, previously there was only a single bin near the toilets which after redesign was replaced with multiple recycling bins.

On the other hand, there has been an addition of salad bar near the door of kitchen and serving area was also rebuilt into section for hot meals. Last but not least, an outdoor area is introduced into the cafe after its renovation which includes seating area and a section for barbeque.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the main changes and gives a clear overall picture: the kitchen, toilets and central seating remain, while the former staff dining rooms become takeaway and coffee facilities, and outdoor seating with a barbecue is added. These comparisons are grounded in the plans, and the description of the serving counter becoming a hot-meals section is accurate. The overview also identifies the new food options, including the salad bar. To make the account more fully developed, report a few spatial details more precisely—for example, the salad bar is along the western wall, and the outdoor area is reached through two new doors in the south wall. The bin comparison could also specify that recycling bins replace the single bin on the eastern wall.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a broad summary, and paragraphs describing what stayed the same and what changed. This helps the reader follow the comparison. However, progression is not consistently clear because the second paragraph combines an overview with several specific changes, and the final two paragraphs repeat the outdoor seating and barbecue addition. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” do not express a clear contrast in that context, while “Last but not least” is conversational and adds little to the organisation. Group the unchanged features together, then describe the new facilities and outdoor area once, using clear spatial or contrast links. This would make the progression more controlled and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the redesign, including “enclosed,” “allocated,” “replaced,” “recycling bins” and “outdoor area.” The writer also attempts more specific terms such as “serving area” and “barbeque setup,” though some choices are imprecise or unnatural for a plan description. “Figures” is not the best label for plans, and “outlook” does not clearly mean layout. “Additional serving of different categories” is awkward, while “refurnishing” suggests replacing furniture rather than redesigning the café. Spelling errors in “seperated” and “take aways” also affect accuracy. Prefer precise plan vocabulary such as “layout,” “facilities,” and “food counters,” and check compound forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mix of simple and more complex structures, including relative clauses (“which is then redesigned”) and contrast clauses (“which after redesign was replaced”). Meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles and verb forms recur. For example, “The given figures compares” has a plural subject with a singular verb, and “before and after of its renovation” uses an unnecessary preposition. “There has been no changes” also mismatches the verb with the plural noun, while “The design … shows … which is then redesigned” shifts awkwardly between present and past forms. Build accuracy by using consistent past and present tenses to compare the plans, and check subject–verb agreement and article use. More reliable control of these patterns would make the complex sentences clearer.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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