Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The two diagrams show the architectural design plan of college cafe before it was restructured and the current look of it.

Overall, college cafe underwent through significant changes. The Kitchen, tables and chairs and toilets remained at the same place while staff dining rooms are completly replaced by new facilities. In addition to it, there are outdoor seating availabe now with the barbecue facility as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the overall redesign and correctly note that the kitchen, central tables and chairs, and toilets remain in place. You also mention the replacement of the staff dining rooms and the new outdoor seating and barbecue, so the response is relevant to the plans. However, the task is addressed only minimally: at 66 words, it is well below the required 150, and most of the key changes are not reported. For example, you omit the hot-meals counter, takeaway food, coffee bar, salad bar, and recycling bins. Develop the comparison by describing these changes and where they are located, alongside a clear overview of the main transformations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, understandable structure: an opening sentence introduces the diagrams, followed by an overview of what stayed the same and what changed. The contrast signalled by “while” and the addition introduced by “In addition to it” help connect the main points. However, the response is too brief to show a clear progression through the plans, and the second paragraph groups several changes together without explaining their relationships or locations. Build a fuller sequence—for example, describe the northern facilities, then the interior changes, and finally the new southern outdoor area. Use paragraphing and linking phrases to guide the reader through that comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing plans, including “architectural design plan,” “restructured,” “facilities,” and “outdoor seating.” These choices show an attempt to use language suited to a redesign. However, the range is limited by the short response, and some expressions are inaccurate or awkward: “current look of it” is imprecise, while “barbecue facility” is not a natural way to describe the feature shown. Spelling errors in “completly” and “availabe” also reduce accuracy. Use the labels from the plan where appropriate and vary verbs such as “remained,” “was replaced,” and “was added” to report changes precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your response includes a simple introductory sentence and a longer overview sentence with a contrast clause, showing some variety in sentence structure. The main meaning is generally understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. In “underwent through significant changes,” the verb pattern is incorrect; use “underwent significant changes.” The phrase “The Kitchen, tables and chairs and toilets remained at the same place” needs clearer coordination and a more natural preposition, such as “remained in the same locations.” The final sentence also has an awkward construction: “there are outdoor seating availabe now.” Practise accurate articles, agreement, and sentence patterns while expanding the description.

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