Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-22

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 plans illustrate the condition of a college cafe before and after renovating.

Overall, the plans clearly depict that there was a mssive change had been held. Specially, in the Northern part of the cafe and there were also a little bit change in internally as well.

Initially, the cafe design in a simple way. The kitchen was at the left side in Southern-East corner, and there was a small serving area of all food and drink. Futhermore, two staff dining rooms was located streight to the interence. In additon, there was a huge eampty spece in cafe, and there were some tables and chairs. Therefore, the toilets and bin ar situated in the Northern-Weast corner.

After redisign, the cafe is looks a enarmous changes. Firstly, the kitchen was in the same place, but the serving area turn into hot meals area. Furthermore, the staff rooms are reconverted by cafe bar and take away food, and a salad bar are newly introduced in the left corner. However, there are some things that are unchanged such as tables and chairs, buins and toilets. Moreover, in the South side of the cafe set up a seating area and made a barbecue place as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main before-and-after changes and give an overview, noting that the kitchen remains in place while the northern facilities and southern area change. Several details are accurately reported, including the conversion of the serving counter to hot meals, the new coffee bar and takeaway section, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. However, some locations are misread: the toilets and bin/recycling bins are in the south-east/eastern area, not the “Northern-Weast corner,” and the staff dining rooms are along the north wall rather than “straight to the entrance.” The overview’s claim of a “massive change” is also broad; identify the key changes more precisely. Mentioning the new southern doors and recycling bins would make the comparison more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing the original and redesigned café. This makes the comparison easy to follow, and sequencing words such as “Initially,” “After redesign,” and “Furthermore” help signal progression. However, some linking is mechanical or does not express the relationship accurately. “Therefore” does not logically connect the seating description to the location of the toilets and bin, while “However” introduces features that are unchanged rather than a contrast. Grouping details by area or by what changed and remained the same, and using more precise links such as “Meanwhile” or “In contrast,” would improve cohesion. A few references, including “there” in the overview, are also vague.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “hot meals,” “salad bar,” and “outdoor seating,” so the main features can generally be identified. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the description harder to understand: “mssive,” “Futhermore,” “eampty spece,” and “enarmous changes.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “the cafe design in a simple way” and “a little bit change.” Use standard map-description language and check spelling carefully; for example, describe facilities as being “located” or “replaced,” and use “substantial changes” rather than an unclear intensifier. More accurate vocabulary for position and change would make the account more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “there was a mssive change had been held” combines incompatible verb structures; “two staff dining rooms was located” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “the cafe is looks” uses two verb forms together. There are also tense inconsistencies when describing the plans, which are best reported consistently in the past for the original layout and present for the current one. Practise building accurate clauses with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and articles in each sentence. This will help you express the comparisons more reliably.

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.