Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

In the given plan here we can see the comparison between the design of a college cafe before and after redesigning it. In the first plan it can be seen that before the area of the cafe was conjusted it's kitchen had single space for all the stuff such as food and drinks both but, in the redesigned version the kitchen section has a hot meals section only. Then in plan A there are two dinning rooms but in the plan B the dinning rooms are divided into two sections for take away food and coffe bar .Then in plan A there is no salad bar but in second plan they have designed a seprate salad bar . The tables and chairs area remains the same. In first plan there is only one bin but in plan B the recycling bins are installed. The toilet area remains the same.There was no option of barbecue in first plan but in plam B it has a seprate area for that and the facillity of outdoor seating has been provided. Overall, the plan B which is the redesigned version oof the cafe is more spacious and provides more facilities to the students and staff.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main changes and make relevant comparisons: the former staff dining rooms become takeaway and coffee sections, a salad bar is added, the bin becomes recycling bins, and outdoor seating with a barbecue is introduced. Your overview that the redesigned café offers more facilities is relevant. This meets the task well, although some details are less fully reported: for example, the kitchen remains in the same location, the toilets also stay in place, and the new southern doors and four outdoor tables are not mentioned. The claim that the café is “more spacious” is not clearly established by the plans. Including these precise spatial details and avoiding unsupported conclusions would make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable sequence, comparing the old and new plans feature by feature, and the final sentence provides a concluding overview. However, it is presented as one long paragraph, so the overview and the detailed comparisons are not clearly separated. Several transitions rely repeatedly on “Then” and “but,” while the frequent use of “in plan A” and “in plan B” makes the progression feel mechanical. Some sentence boundaries are also unclear, particularly where a new comparison begins immediately after a full stop or without adequate spacing. Organise the response into a brief introduction and overview followed by grouped details, and use clearer referencing such as “previously” and “in the redesigned layout.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant plan vocabulary, including “kitchen,” “salad bar,” “recycling bins,” and “outdoor seating,” which helps communicate the main changes. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “conjusted” does not clearly express the intended meaning, “dinning rooms” is misspelled, and “the kitchen section has a hot meals section only” is awkward and potentially confusing. “Facilities” is repeated in the conclusion rather than using more precise language about the new amenities. Aim for accurate collocations and a wider range of terms for describing changes and locations. Proofreading spelling and choosing concise phrases such as “the serving counter now offers hot meals” would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex comparisons, for example, “before … but, in the redesigned version…,” and most of the intended meaning can be understood. However, sentence structures are often awkward or incomplete in their control. In “before the area of the cafe was conjusted it's kitchen had…,” the clauses are joined without clear punctuation, and the possessive construction is not correctly separated. The sentence beginning “Then in plan A…” also runs into the next comparison without a clear boundary. Articles and sentence patterns need more consistent control, as in “the facility of outdoor seating has been provided.” Use shorter, complete sentences and check clause boundaries, apostrophes, and punctuation when combining comparisons.

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