Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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 diagram at hand illustrates how the design of a college cafe has changed over the period.

Overall, the college cafe underwent significant changes, particularly in terms of its layout and facilities. The most noticeable development was the center of the cafe , while Kitchen also contributed to the transformation of the area.

Looking at the original layout, kitchen was located in the upper left corner, while staff doning rooms occupied in the center. In addition, the area contained Bin, which was situated in the eastwestern. These features formed the main layout before the changes took place.

In the later plan, dining room was replaced , whereas kitchen remained unchanged. Furthermore, salad bar was introduced in weasterns, and serving room was replaced by Hot meals. Another notable building was Barbecue in the externe next to the building salad bar, Additionally, make an outdoor seating. As a result, the overall layout became considerably different from its original design.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from the original café to the redesigned one, and correctly note that the kitchen remains in place, the serving counter becomes a hot-meals area, and a salad bar and outdoor seating are added. However, the account is only partial: it omits important current features such as the take-away food and coffee bar, recycling bins, and the continued toilets and central tables. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the staff dining rooms were along the north wall, not “in the center,” and the bin was on the eastern wall, not “eastwestern.” The overview also says the centre was the most noticeable development without explaining the key overall shift. Select the main changes accurately and compare the two plans more explicitly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs about the original and later layouts. This gives the reader a basic chronological route through the plans. However, progression within those paragraphs is uneven, and several details are presented as a list rather than grouped by location or type of change. Linking phrases such as “In addition,” “Furthermore,” and “Additionally” are used, but they do not always clarify relationships; the final sentence, “As a result,” makes a general claim without summarising the specific changes. Some references are also difficult to follow, particularly “the center of the cafe” and “the building salad bar.” Grouping changes by the north, west, and south sides would make the comparison clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “layout,” “transformation,” “remained unchanged,” and “outdoor seating,” and you attempt to describe locations and changes. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the plan difficult to interpret. “Staff doning rooms” appears to mean staff dining rooms, while “eastwestern,” “weasterns,” and “externe” are not accurate forms. Phrases such as “another notable building was Barbecue” and “make an outdoor seating” are also unnatural for describing facilities. Use precise map vocabulary and check spelling, word forms, and collocations. For example, describe a barbecue area as a facility and say that outdoor seating was added.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “kitchen was located … while staff …” and the passive construction “was replaced.” However, errors are frequent, and some sentences are incomplete or awkwardly formed. Examples include “kitchen was located” and “dining room was replaced,” where articles are needed, and “staff dining rooms occupied in the center,” which lacks a suitable verb pattern. “Additionally, make an outdoor seating” does not form a complete sentence, while “Barbecue in the externe next to the building salad bar” is also difficult to parse. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, as in “cafe ,” and “Kitchen also.” Practise complete sentences with accurate articles and passive forms.

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