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 maps illustrate changes of the college cafe before and after the redesigned .

overall , the are the most significant change with the cafe like adding a new outdoor seating area . however , the tables and chairs are remain unchanged .

Next to the Kitchan area there is one section added , it was the salad bar . in the middle of the cafe there is the staff dining rooms that are completely demolished by the rediging ogf the take away food area and coffee bar area.in addition there was a serving area also completely replacing by the hot meals.

on the right side , toilets and tables and chairs area remained unchanged . however , the bin aera become more spaceious and upgradeed to the recycling bins . one also major change in the today cafe is , one large outdoor seating area are designed with the barbecue small section.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the new salad bar, the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee areas, and the outdoor seating and barbecue. You also note that the toilets and central tables remain. However, the overview is unclear: “the are the most significant change” does not state the main pattern, and the claim that the tables and chairs are “unchanged” overlooks the new outdoor tables. Some locations are inaccurate or vague, such as placing the former staff dining rooms “in the middle” rather than along the north wall. To make the summary more complete and precise, give a clear overview and compare the main layout changes with their locations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing changes. This gives the reader a general route through the information. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly in “in the middle of the cafe there is the staff dining rooms that are completely demolished by the rediging ogf the take away food area and coffee bar area.” The frequent use of “however” and “in addition” does not always show the relationship between ideas accurately, and punctuation and spacing make some sentences run together. Grouping changes by area—for example, the north side, interior, and new southern outdoor area—and using clear linking phrases would make the account easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “salad bar,” “recycling bins,” “outdoor seating area,” and “remained unchanged,” so the reader can recognise several features. However, the range is limited and errors in spelling, word form, and collocation are noticeable. Examples include “Kitchan,” “rediging,” “spaceious,” and “upgradeed”; “demolished by the redesign” is also an unnatural way to describe rooms being replaced. Use precise verbs such as “was replaced by” or “was converted into,” and check the spelling of key labels. More accurate location language, such as “along the western wall” and “in the south-west corner,” would also help you describe the plans precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the response generally communicates that the café has changed. However, errors are frequent, and some sentence structures are difficult to interpret. For example, “the tables and chairs are remain unchanged” combines incompatible verb forms, while “the toilets and tables and chairs area remained unchanged” has unclear agreement and sentence structure. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and tense, as in “one large outdoor seating area are designed.” Use the past tense for the redesign and present tense for the current plan, and check subject–verb agreement. Shorter, complete sentences would improve accuracy before you attempt more complex comparisons.

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