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 of cafe renovation.There are two maps one shows before redesign and second shows after redesign of cafe.Not much changes but their are some small changes that we discuss.

Kitchen structure is same in both maps.Name of serving area is changed to hot meals after the renovation. After entering in cafe there is a staff dining rooms before the renovation but after the renovation these rooms convert into take away room and cofee bar room.The tables and chairs area have little bit changed after the renovation there is an additon in this area salad bar is build here. Toilets and recycle bins area located at same location before and after the renovation. Furthermore there are two new thing after the renovation first one is barbecue area at most left and after that now outdoor seating is also available here in cafe.Before the renovation of the cafe these area was not there.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main purpose of the plans and report several accurate changes: the kitchen remains, the serving counter becomes a hot-meals counter, the former staff rooms become takeaway and coffee areas, and outdoor seating and a barbecue are added. You also note that the toilets stay in the same corner. This covers the key transformation, and the claim that the changes are “not much” is partly balanced by your later examples. However, the overview is vague, and some details are unclear or inaccurate: the salad bar is added along the western wall, not within the tables-and-chairs area, and the recycling bins replace the former bin rather than remaining unchanged. Mentioning the new southern doors and the outdoor tables would make the comparison more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible before-and-after order, moving from the kitchen and serving area to the former staff rooms, central space, and outdoor additions. Linking phrases such as “After the renovation” and “Furthermore” help signal comparison. However, the ideas are packed into one paragraph, and the progression is not consistently clear: the sentence about the tables, chairs, and salad bar combines separate changes, while “Toilets and recycle bins area located at same location” makes the comparison difficult to follow. Repeated use of “after the renovation” also makes cohesion mechanical. Separate the overview from the detailed comparisons, and use clearer references such as “the former bin was replaced by recycling bins” to connect old and new features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “renovation,” “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “outdoor seating,” and “barbecue.” These terms make the main changes understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, including “cafe renovation,” “these rooms convert into,” and “an additon in this area salad bar is build here.” “At most left” is also an imprecise way to describe the barbecue’s position. Spelling errors such as “cofee” and “additon” are noticeable. Aim for more precise plan vocabulary and natural collocations, for example “was converted into,” “was added along the western wall,” and “in the south-west corner.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer comparative sentences, and the reader can generally understand the sequence of changes. However, grammatical control is uneven, particularly with articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries. Examples include “There are two maps one shows,” which needs punctuation or a linking structure, and “these rooms convert into,” where the passive past form is needed. In “Toilets and recycle bins area located,” the subject and verb do not agree, and “there is an additon” does not form a complete, clear description of the change. Use consistent past and present forms to distinguish the two plans, and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb. More accurate complex sentences would improve clarity.

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