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 ditinction between the old and new cafe is clear as we can see the modification made to the cafe is quite remarable for instance let's take the example of kitchen, the old kitchen was being used for all sorts of food which must have resulted in choas in kitchen by separating the take away food from hot meals is a superb idea as the individuals who don't want to dine in, simply won't have to step in the kitchen so as a result less mess and crowded the kitchen will be. And as we can clearly visualize the cafe has been expanded too on the outside making it much more spacious and would be much more deltighted for nature loving customers. Also for vegetarians the option of salad has been added which really means to open a door way to new customers.Moreover, the trash area has been upgraded as well and now its not just to throw the garbage but it would now help to recycle too. Last but not the least a new spot for coffee has been added instead of staff dining rooms which is good for the students who want to stay up and focus on their studies. In the end it's a well planned alteration.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several genuine changes, including the new salad bar, coffee bar, recycling provision and outdoor seating, and you make a relevant comparison between the former staff dining rooms and the new customer facilities. However, the response focuses heavily on imagined benefits and reasons—such as reducing kitchen mess or attracting nature-loving customers—which the plans do not show. Some key changes are also unclear or inaccurately described: the kitchen was not previously used for “all sorts of food”; the serving area was relabelled “Hot meals,” while takeaway food is a separate new section. The overview that the café was expanded outside is useful, but a more factual summary of the main internal and external changes, with less speculation, would address the visual information more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, moving from the kitchen to outdoor space, the salad bar, recycling and the coffee bar, and linking phrases such as “Moreover” and “Last but not the least” signal transitions. However, it is presented as one long paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. The repeated use of “and” and extended chains of clauses make relationships between points difficult to follow; for example, the opening sentence runs through the kitchen change and its supposed consequences without a clear break. Organise the response into an introduction and overview followed by grouped details, and use shorter sentences and more precise referencing to create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “modification,” “spacious,” “vegetarians,” and “recycle,” and several terms relate to the café’s changes. However, spelling errors such as “ditinction,” “remarable,” “choas,” and “delighted” are noticeable, while some choices are informal or imprecise for an academic map description: “trash area,” “spot for coffee,” and “open a door way” do not describe the plan precisely. Phrases such as “stay up and focus on their studies” add an unsupported interpretation rather than useful map vocabulary. Use accurate labels from the plan, such as “serving counter,” “takeaway section,” and “outdoor seating,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt complex sentences and use some subordinate clauses, for example “which must have resulted in…” and “who don't want to dine in.” However, long sentences joined by repeated “and” are often difficult to control, and punctuation does not consistently mark clause boundaries. There are also errors in sentence structure and agreement, as in “less mess and crowded the kitchen will be,” and the phrase “the modification made to the cafe is quite…” is awkwardly constructed. The response shifts between describing the plans and speculating about outcomes, rather than maintaining clear, consistent present-tense descriptions. Practise separating ideas into complete sentences and checking subject–verb agreement, clause structure and punctuation.

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