Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-28

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 first diagram shows the cafe of a college and in second diadram shows the renovated college cafe.

Overall, the cafe is renovated with addition of coffee bar, salad bar, barbecue, take away food section and outdoor seating.

It ids quite evident from diagram that cafe before renovation had only indoor seating with dining rooms for staff, a kitchen with serving area, toilets and a bin placed in between the entrance and toilets.The diagram of today's cafe give information about the renovation by addition of hot meals instead of serving area in the kitchen, Take away and coffee bar instead of staff dining rooms, outdoor seating with two extra doors, a salad bar and a barbecue point. And the small trash bin is converted into bigger recycling bins.

Meanwhile, the cafe today is positively renovated and looks so elegant than the cafe before re

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main redesign features, including the new coffee and salad bars, takeaway section, outdoor seating and barbecue, and you compare several old and new facilities. However, the response is incomplete: it contains 144 words, below the required 150, and ends mid-sentence (“before re…”). This limits how fully the changes are reported. Some details are also unclear or inaccurate: the recycling bins are described as “bigger,” although the plan only shows a change from a bin to recycling bins, and the outdoor seating’s four tables and the barbecue’s position are not explained. The overview is relevant, but the final claim that the café looks “elegant” is subjective rather than a feature shown by the plans. Add a complete summary and precise spatial details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing changes. The response also uses linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Meanwhile,” and “instead of” to connect comparisons. However, progression is weakened because the second and third paragraphs repeat several changes, and the final sentence is cut off, leaving the response without a proper conclusion. The long sentence beginning “It ids quite evident” combines many features with limited punctuation, making the information difficult to follow. Organise the details into clear groups—for example, changes inside the café and additions outside—and use references such as “the former staff rooms” consistently to avoid repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “renovated,” “outdoor seating,” “serving area,” and “recycling bins,” so the main changes can generally be understood. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or informal. “Barbecue point” is not a natural description of the labelled area, while “small trash bin is converted into bigger recycling bins” overstates what the plan shows. “Looks so elegant” is subjective and unsuitable for an objective plan summary. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “diadram” and “ids,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “barbecue area” and “the bin was replaced by recycling bins,” and avoid evaluative language not supported by the visual.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex sentence forms, particularly when comparing the former and current facilities, but control is inconsistent. Errors occur in basic sentence construction and agreement: “in second diadram shows” lacks a clear grammatical subject, and “the diagram of today’s cafe give information” has incorrect subject–verb agreement. Articles are also missing in phrases such as “the cafe of a college” and “in between the entrance and toilets.” The long sentence beginning “It ids quite evident” is difficult to manage and needs clearer sentence boundaries; the final sentence is incomplete. These errors sometimes make the relationships between features unclear. Use shorter, complete sentences, check articles and verb agreement, and proofread punctuation before submitting.

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