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)

Here we can see the two digrams or blue print of college cafe before resdesign and after the renovation of the cafe we can see the huge difference between them.

If we analyse the first picture of the cafe , we can see the kitchen is on the top left side and the right opposite we have the serving area(food and drinks) and almost beside the serving area we have the staff dining rooms there two in total as we can see in picture and almost the whole area is covered with the tables and chairs for the customers and also we have toilets in the bottom right of the picture and if we go slighlty up we have the bin area.

Now if we analyse the second diagram or blueprint of the cafe we can see lot of changes,

firstly we have on the top left side we have the kitchen and write opposite to the kitchen we have the hot meals section and also we also have now salad bar at the corner left of the diagram. Secondly, now we have the take away food and right beside we have coffee corner or bar previously on the diagram we had staff dining rooms.And over the almost the whole area is covered with tables and chairs and also bottom right of the diagram we have toilets and if we go little up on the right hand side we have our recycle bins.

Thirdly, not to forget that we have own the outdoor section too, we have the barbeque section on the bottom left of the diagram and also we have the outdoor sitting area as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main before-and-after changes, including the kitchen and hot-meal counter, the replacement of staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee areas, the salad bar, recycling bins, and new outdoor facilities. The toilets and central seating are also correctly described as remaining. However, there is no clear overview that groups the most significant changes; the opening only says there is a “huge difference.” Some locations are unclear or inaccurate: the serving area is described as “right opposite” the kitchen, and the staff dining rooms as “beside” it, rather than along the north wall. The outdoor seating and its four tables are not described in detail. A concise overview and more precise spatial comparisons would make the key features clearer and more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows a broadly logical before-and-after order, and paragraphing separates the original layout from the redesigned one. Sequencing phrases such as “If we analyse the first picture,” “Now,” and “Thirdly” help signal movement through the description. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, with repeated “we can see” and “also,” and the long sentences combine several locations without clear relationships. For example, the first paragraph moves from the kitchen to the serving area, staff rooms, seating, toilets, and bin in one sentence. The second paragraph also begins with a repeated “firstly” construction. Organise the information into clearer groups—unchanged features, replaced facilities, and additions—and use more precise referencing to improve flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “kitchen,” “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “tables and chairs,” and “outdoor section.” This gives the reader a basic understanding of the facilities. However, the range is limited and several expressions are informal or imprecise, such as “huge difference,” “right opposite,” “little up,” and “almost the whole area is covered.” There are also spelling errors in key task vocabulary, including “digrams,” “resdesign,” “slighlty,” and “recycle.” Use more precise terms such as “located,” “adjacent,” “along the eastern wall,” and “was replaced by.” Accurate spelling and less repetitive wording would make the description more suitable for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can generally follow the comparison. However, sentence control is inconsistent, particularly when several ideas are joined together. For example, “the kitchen is on the top left side and the right opposite we have the serving area” lacks a clear grammatical connection between the two locations. There are also errors in sentence construction and punctuation, such as “there two in total,” and the repeated opening “firstly we have” creates awkward structures. Some sentences run on, with commas used where full stops or clearer clause links are needed. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences alongside controlled complex forms, and check articles, verb forms, and punctuation before finishing.

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