Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26
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 diagram below illustrates the comparison between college cafe like how it was looked before redesign and how it looks after develpment.
Overall, Kitchen ,toilet and Table and chairs was on the same place .Rest things are removed from previous cafe and and constructed new things on cafe today also the area of developed cafe is extended more with outdoor sitting and Barbecue.
To begin with comparing the both old and new cafe things, Kitchen was at the same place, on top of the cafe . Then below cafe there is a serving area all food and drink is at there before redesign after constructed to new cafe this thing is replaced with Hot meals . On the other side old cafe staff dinning rooms was the big rectangular box right below on the left side of serving area and on the centre of rectangular box there is table and chairs and bin was on the edge of the corner. While on new cafe dinning room is renewed with takeaway food and coffe bar .Subsequently , Table and chairs was on the same place and bin should be extended to recycling bin .
On the other hand rectangular box also included Toilets that was at the corner and also added Salad bar that is on the left side of the box. In addition, Barebecue and outdoor seating was also added in new cafe .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You identify the main change: the café has been extended with outdoor seating and a barbecue, while the kitchen, toilets and central tables remain. You also report several specific conversions, including the serving area becoming a hot-meals counter and the staff dining rooms being replaced by takeaway food and a coffee bar. These details address the task, but some are unclear or inaccurate: the staff dining rooms were two separate rooms, not one “big rectangular box,” and the recycling bins occupy the former bin’s position rather than being “extended.” The salad bar is on the western wall, but its position is described vaguely. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons of the layout would make the key features more fully developed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, and it generally moves from the original café to the redesigned one. This gives the report an overall structure. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow: “On the other side” and “On the other hand” do not clearly signal the relationships between the features being compared, and the final paragraph combines the toilets, salad bar and outdoor additions without a clear organising principle. Repeated use of “Then,” “While,” and “In addition” also makes the linking feel mechanical. Grouping changes by location or by what was retained versus replaced, and using clearer references such as “the former staff rooms,” would improve cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “replaced,” “same place,” “outdoor seating” and “recycling bin,” so the main changes can be understood. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “things,” “constructed new things,” “renewed with,” and “extended to recycling bin.” There are also spelling errors in “develpment,” “dinning,” “coffe” and “Barebecue,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “facilities,” “converted into,” and “located along the western wall.” This would help you describe the layout more clearly and avoid relying on general words like “things” and “box.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “while” and “after,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in agreement and verb forms appear in phrases such as “Kitchen, toilet and Table and chairs was” and “Table and chairs was on the same place.” Sentence construction is also faulty in “Kitchen was at the same place, on top of the cafe” and “a serving area … is at there before redesign after constructed to new cafe.” Articles, plurals and punctuation are often missing or inconsistent, as in “the both old and new cafe things.” These problems sometimes make relationships between features hard to follow. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and build comparisons with complete, clearly punctuated clauses.
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