Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Cafe before redesigning had a kitchen , serving area for all food and drinks, staff dining rooms, tables and chairs, bin and toilets. Whereas today, has a kitchen for hot meals, a salad bar, take away food,

coffee bar, recycling bins, toilets, a barbeque and a outdoor seating

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the two plans and name several relevant features, including the kitchen, seating, toilets, and the new barbecue and outdoor seating. However, the response is far too brief to summarise the main changes, and it gives no clear overview of how the café was redesigned. It also omits important comparisons: for example, the staff dining rooms became takeaway-food and coffee-bar areas, the serving counter now offers hot meals, and recycling bins replaced the bin. The response contains 48 words; 16 copied from the task prompt were not counted, so it is 102 words below the 150-word minimum. To improve, write a concise overview followed by specific comparisons of the interior and the new outdoor area.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic organising idea: it contrasts the café before the redesign with its current layout, using “Whereas today” to signal the change. This gives the reader a simple starting point for comparison. However, the information is compressed into two fragments rather than developed in a clear sequence, and the second sentence ends without punctuation. The list of current features does not explain how they relate to the old layout or distinguish interior changes from additions outside. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the main details, and connect related changes with clear links such as “while,” “in addition,” and “by contrast.” This would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant basic vocabulary for describing a plan, including “kitchen,” “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” and “recycling bins.” The terms generally communicate the features being listed, and “Whereas” shows an attempt to express contrast. However, the vocabulary is mostly a repeated list of labels, with little language for describing location or change. Some forms are inaccurate or awkward, such as “Cafe before redesigning” and “a outdoor seating,” and “a barbeque” is not the spelling used in the plan (“barbecue”). Aim to use more precise phrases such as “was replaced by,” “along the western wall,” and “an outdoor seating area.” This would broaden the range and make the description more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to compare the two layouts, and the first sentence is a complete, understandable statement. However, the range is very limited, with most of the response consisting of a list rather than developed sentences. The second sentence has a faulty structure: “Whereas today, has a kitchen…” lacks a clear subject and main clause. The phrase “Cafe before redesigning had…” also needs a more appropriate subject and article, while “a outdoor seating” shows an article error. There is also a comma followed by a line break where the list continues, but no final punctuation. Practise forming complete comparison sentences, for example, “Today, the café has a hot-meal counter, while the former staff rooms have become a takeaway area and coffee bar.”

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.