Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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 plan demonstratres the layout of college cafe before it was redesigned how it looks today.

Overall, the cafe has several changes in past few years like outdoor seating are available for today cafe.However most noticable changes are salad bar, barbeuce and toilets have bigger size in the same area.

Before redesign, there has a staff dining room which are located in the middle portion of cafe. while there has a kitchen and serving area which are situated in the top left corner of the cafe. toilet and bin are are located in the bottom right corner of the cafe which is near to the entrance.

Today, cafe are more modern and stylish. we have see plenty of changes are in cafe like take away and coffee bar are located in the staff dining room. kitchen and hot meals have placed in the top left corner while recycle bin and toilet are bottom corner of cafe. Also there have a salad bar and barbecue area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad purpose of the plans and give an overview that mentions new outdoor seating and a salad bar. You also correctly note that the kitchen remains in the upper-left area and that the former staff dining rooms become takeaway and coffee facilities. However, several important details are missing or inaccurate: the toilets have not become larger, and the barbecue is outside rather than a change to the interior. The entrance is not described as being near the bin and toilets, and the new southern doors and four outdoor tables are omitted. To strengthen the report, compare the main changes accurately and include the central seating area, recycling bins replacing the bin, and the new outdoor facilities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the former and current layouts. This gives the reader a basic route through the comparison. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the overview combines outdoor seating, the salad bar, barbecue, and an incorrect claim about the toilets without showing how these features relate. Linking words such as “while” and “Also” are used, but connections between details are often mechanical or incomplete. For example, the final paragraph lists several locations without clearly contrasting them with the previous plan. Organise the body by areas or by changes—north, west, and south—and use clear comparisons such as “whereas” and “in contrast.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “layout,” “located,” “serving area,” “take away,” and “salad bar.” These terms help communicate the main subject, and there is an attempt to use descriptive language such as “modern and stylish.” However, the range is limited and several spelling or word-choice errors reduce precision, including “demonstratres,” “noticable,” “barbeuce,” and “recycle bin.” Some phrases are also unnatural for this task, such as “changes in past few years” and “plenty of changes are in cafe.” Use precise plan-description vocabulary and check spelling; for example, describe facilities as being “added,” “replaced,” or “retained,” rather than relying on general phrases such as “plenty of changes.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “while” and an overview beginning “Overall.” However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between features difficult to follow. Examples include “The plan demonstratres … before it was redesigned how it looks today,” “there has a staff dining room,” and “kitchen and hot meals have placed.” There are recurring problems with articles, subject–verb agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries; “cafe.However” also needs punctuation and spacing. Practise accurate present-tense descriptions and passive forms, such as “The kitchen remains in the upper-left corner” and “The staff dining rooms were replaced by a takeaway area and a coffee bar.”

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.