Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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 below illustrates a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

If we compare both of the plans we can see that the serving area is replaced by the section for hot meals and the staff dining rooms are now assigned for take away food and coffe bar.The bin section now cover a larger area then before for multiple bins there.

There are some new additions as well along with replacements and improvements, we can see a salad bar section in new plan and along with that we have an out door seating area to south of the cafe.On the west side of the outdoor seating area there an addition of barbecue section

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several relevant changes, including the replacement of the serving area with a hot-meals section, the conversion of the staff dining rooms into takeaway and coffee areas, and the addition of a salad bar, outdoor seating and barbecue. However, the response only partially summarises the plans: it gives no clear overview of the main changes and omits important features such as the kitchen and toilets remaining, the central seating area, and the new southern doors. The claim that the bin area covers a larger space is not supported; the plan shows recycling bins in the former bin’s position. The response is also 44 words below the 150-word minimum, which limits the detail provided. Develop a fuller comparison and report the key unchanged features accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it first compares the serving and staff areas, then introduces additions such as the salad bar and outdoor seating. This gives the reader some sense of how the plans differ. However, the ideas are compressed into two paragraphs, and the progression is not fully clear. The opening phrase “If we compare both of the plans” is a mechanical transition, while “along with that” and “there” do not clearly connect or locate the features. The final sentence also ends abruptly. Organise the report into a brief overview followed by grouped details, such as changes inside the café and additions outside, and use clear location references to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “salad bar,” “outdoor seating” and “barbecue.” These terms make the main changes understandable. However, the range is limited, and some word choices or collocations are imprecise: “assigned for take away food” is not a natural way to describe a change of use, and “the bin section now cover a larger area” inaccurately describes the recycling bins. There are also spelling and form issues, including “coffe” and “out door.” Use precise verbs such as “was converted into” or “was replaced by,” and vary location language to describe where facilities are situated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both a comparison clause and longer sentences, but grammatical control is uneven, and the range of sentence structures is limited. For example, “The plans below illustrates” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “the bin section now cover” also needs a singular verb. In “on the west side of the outdoor seating area there an addition,” the sentence is missing a verb, making the relationship between the features harder to follow. Punctuation is also inconsistent: there is no space after the full stop in “bar.The” or “cafe.On.” Practise accurate simple comparison sentences first, then add controlled clauses, checking agreement, complete verb phrases and sentence boundaries.

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

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