Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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 given plan compares the current cafe design with the old one.

Overall, The cafe has expanded its seating area and introduced some new food areas. Some of the rooms are being used for other purpose when it was before.

Tables and chairs, toilers and kitchen are unchaned in current cafe when compared with old design but the cafe has expanded to outdoor seating where they server barbecue also, which was not present before redesign. Staff dining rooms are now partitioned to take away food and coffee bar.

In old design in front of kitched they ysed to serve all kind of food and drink but now only hot meals are served. The main hall has now a salad bar at the end of hall near kitchen. In old design there were only bin but now replace with recycling bins in current cafe. Staff dinning room is the only thing which is removed completely after renovation of cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main transformation: the café gains outdoor seating and a barbecue, while the former staff dining rooms become takeaway and coffee areas. You also report the continuing kitchen, central tables, toilets and the change from a general serving counter to hot meals. This gives a relevant overview and covers most key features. Some details, however, are unclear or imprecise: “the cafe has expanded its seating area” would be stronger if you specified the four outdoor tables, and the salad bar is described as being “near kitchen” rather than along the western wall. The claim that the staff dining room is “the only thing” removed is also too broad, since the original serving arrangement and single bin were changed. More precise comparisons would complete the account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing changes. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is uneven, and several links between ideas are unclear. For example, “Some of the rooms are being used for other purpose when it was before” is difficult to interpret, while “Staff dining rooms are now partitioned to take away food and coffee bar” does not clearly explain the replacement. The final paragraph moves from the serving counter to the salad bar and then the bins without a consistent spatial or comparative order. Grouping changes by location—north, west, east and south—and using clear contrasts such as “whereas” would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “seating area,” “outdoor seating,” “recycling bins,” “hot meals” and “redesign,” so the main changes can generally be understood. However, the range and control are limited by repeated basic wording such as “now,” “old design” and “cafe,” as well as inaccurate or misspelled forms: “toilers,” “unchaned,” “kitched,” “ysed” and “dinning.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “expanded to outdoor seating” and “serve all kind of food and drink.” These errors make parts of the description less precise, even though the intended meaning is usually recoverable. Use accurate plan vocabulary and varied comparison language, such as “was converted into,” “was replaced by” and “along the western wall.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “when compared with” and a contrast introduced by “but.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence patterns contain errors. For example, “Some of the rooms are being used for other purpose when it was before” shifts tense and has an unclear comparison; “Tables and chairs, toilers and kitchen are unchaned” lacks clear article and plural control; and “there were only bin but now replace with recycling bins” has problems with number, tense and sentence structure. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “Overall, The cafe.” Aim to use straightforward, complete sentences with consistent past and present forms, for example: “The staff dining rooms were replaced by a takeaway area and a coffee bar.”

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