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 maps provide informations about the college cafe before and after the ranovation of the sight.

Overall, the building design is same but after redesigning outdoor seating is added in with a barbecue facilite while in door sitting area is at the same spote. Additionally, staff dining rooms are transformed into take away and coffee bar.

The two maps shows changes that occure in the design of the cafe before and after renovation.Looking first to the serving area which is later redesigned to the hot meal then moving towards staff diningrooms which are transformed into caffee bar and also into take away food area.Turning towards the left side in the cafe which is empty firstliy then added a salad bar area laterown.

Furthermore, toilets and recycling bins were at the same position in both maps.Moreover, an outdoor seating area is introduced in the new look of the cafe with an additional facilitie of barbeue after the renovation of the cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes and provide an overview, noting that outdoor seating and a barbecue were added and that the former staff dining rooms became takeaway and coffee areas. You also correctly mention the hot-meal counter, salad bar, and the toilets and bins remaining in the same general positions. This covers the main purpose of the plans, but some details are unclear or incomplete: the central tables and chairs remain, and the new southern doors and four outdoor tables are not described. The phrase “left side … empty firstly” is also inaccurate, since the plans show the kitchen and serving area there before the redesign. Develop the comparison more precisely by describing what stayed, what changed, and where each addition is located.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and further details about the changes. This helps the reader recognise the before-and-after comparison, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Furthermore,” and “Moreover” signal relationships between points. However, progression is not consistently clear. The second paragraph repeats the comparison introduced in the overview, while “Looking first … then moving towards” and “Turning towards the left side” create a sequence that is difficult to follow and does not clearly organise the plan by location. Some references, such as “which is empty firstly,” are unclear. Group the information into logical areas—for example, changes inside the café and additions outside—and use direct location-based links to make the comparison easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “transformed,” “serving area,” “outdoor seating area,” and “same position.” These choices show an attempt to vary language rather than simply repeat the task wording. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “informations,” “ranovation,” “sight,” “spote,” and “barbeue.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “added in with a barbecue facilite” and “the left side … is empty firstly,” which can make the intended changes harder to understand. Aim for accurate, conventional terms such as “renovation,” “site,” “facility,” and “initially,” and use precise plan vocabulary such as “located,” “replaced,” and “added.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with subordinate clauses, as in “Overall, the building design is same but after redesigning…” and “Looking first to the serving area which is later redesigned…”. This gives the response some structural variety, and the main message is generally recoverable. However, several grammatical errors remain, including missing articles in “the building design is same” and “in the cafe,” subject–verb disagreement in “The two maps shows,” and inconsistent tense in “toilets and recycling bins were at the same position.” Some long sentences also lack clear grammatical connections, particularly the sentence beginning “Looking first…”. Use complete, clearly punctuated sentences, check articles and agreement, and keep past-tense descriptions consistent when comparing the earlier plan with the current one.

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