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 shows the plans about college cafe renovation.It is showing details of new areas. first of all, there are two maps one shows before and other show after redesign structure.Now we highlight and compare main changes that happend in new map.

The kitchen structure same before and after redesign a cafe but serving area name change from all food and drink to hot meals.Then after entering in cafe on the left side there are staff dining rooms before renovation but now after renovation thereare food takeaway room and second one are cofee bar. Tables and chairs area is little bit changed after renovation there are addtion of salad bar at tables and chairs area.

Toilets are at same location before and after renonvation.Recycling bin area are also same before and afte changes in design.Two new places are added in new design.First one is barbecue that is located at most left. Second is outdoor seating which is added in new design.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the kitchen remaining in place, the serving counter becoming a hot-meals counter, the former staff dining rooms being replaced by takeaway and coffee areas, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. However, the account is only partly complete: it does not clearly describe the new southern doors or the four outdoor tables, and it misplaces the salad bar by saying it is “at tables and chairs area” rather than along the western wall. The overview is also limited; a clearer summary of the main transformation—new food-service facilities and expanded seating outside—would help. Some comparisons, such as the unchanged toilets and central seating, are relevant but need more precise description.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from an introduction to changes inside the café and then to the new outdoor facilities. This gives the reader some sense of organisation, and phrases such as “before renovation” and “after renovation” signal comparison. However, progression is not consistently clear: the opening repeats the idea of comparing the maps, while the body shifts between features without a clear grouping or overview. Linking expressions such as “Then” and “First one” are repetitive or informal, and references such as “two new places” are not fully precise. Organise the report into a concise overview followed by paragraphs on internal changes and external additions, using clear location-based links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “kitchen,” “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “toilets,” and “outdoor seating,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, sometimes making details unclear. For example, “food takeaway room” is less natural than “takeaway area,” and “Recycling bin area” does not accurately name the recycling bins. Spelling errors such as “cofee,” “addtion,” and “renonvation” are noticeable, while “most left” is an imprecise way to describe the barbecue’s position. Build a more precise set of map terms and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple statements and longer comparisons, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. Examples include “The kitchen structure same” (missing a verb), “one shows before and other show after” (article and agreement errors), and “there are addtion of salad bar” (incorrect construction and article use). Several sentences run together without appropriate punctuation, as in the opening, and verb forms are inconsistent in “name change” and “there are added.” These errors sometimes make relationships between features harder to follow. Practise accurate present-tense descriptions and comparison patterns, such as “The kitchen remains in the same position, while the serving area has been replaced by a hot-meals counter,” and separate each complete sentence with correct punctuation.

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