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)

The map shows the changes in the design of the college cafe. In the reconstruction they had change the placement of the dinning or serving area as compared to the last one.

Firstly, they had extended the area for sitting for staff of college,moreover now they have the outdoor sitting with barbecue section but before that they have separate staff dinning inside the cafeteria where staff can enjoy their meals privately and peacefully.As they extend the area so they have more space to sit and enjoy the meal. Therefore they are using recycling bin instead of bin.

Secondly, they had replace the staff dinning to takeaway order and coffee bars as well as they added separate place for salad bars.

Therefore we conclude that the area of the cafe is extended and improve the quality of service with providing multiple options of foods including beverages and eatable meals with dinning in outdoor.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the new takeaway and coffee areas, salad bar, outdoor seating and barbecue, and replacement of the bin with recycling bins. However, the account is only partly accurate: you say the staff dining area was extended, whereas it was removed and replaced by takeaway food and a coffee bar. The overview that the café was extended is also not clearly supported; the main indoor seating remains, while facilities were reorganised and outdoor seating was added. Some key comparisons are missing, such as the kitchen remaining in place, the toilets staying in the same corner, and the serving counter becoming a hot-meals counter. Focus on describing visible changes rather than inferring benefits or service quality.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction to two points marked “Firstly” and “Secondly,” followed by a conclusion. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the first paragraph combines staff seating, outdoor facilities, recycling and an explanation about increased space, while the second repeats the staff-dining change. The conclusion introduces broad claims about improved service rather than summarising the main physical changes. Some linking expressions, such as “Therefore,” do not show a clear logical relationship between the map details. Group the changes by location or by what was removed and added, and use concise comparisons to connect them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “placement,” “outdoor sitting,” “recycling bin,” “takeaway” and “coffee bars,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, several choices are imprecise or repetitive: “dinning” is repeatedly used where “dining” is intended, and “eatable meals” is unnatural. “Extended the area” also suggests a physical enlargement that the plans do not clearly show. The response relies on general phrases such as “multiple options” and “quality of service” instead of precise labels from the plan. Use the map’s terms—such as “hot-meals counter,” “salad bar” and “outdoor seating”—and choose accurate verbs like “replaced,” “added” and “remained.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a contrast with “but before that” and a concluding sentence beginning “Therefore we conclude.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “they had change” needs a past participle (“had changed”), while “they had replace” should be “they replaced” or “they had replaced.” The opening phrase “In the reconstruction they had change” is also awkwardly formed. There are problems with sentence boundaries and punctuation, including missing spaces after commas and a run-on sequence in the first paragraph. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and divide long sentences into clear, complete clauses.

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

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