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)

There are two images given in the plan . It shows how the college cafe looked before it was redesigned and how it looks after the redesign.

The cafe before redesign had a kitchen , serving area for all kind of food and drinks , had staff dining rooms , outside it there were tables and chairs , and there was a bin and toilets.

The cafe after the redesignation has a completely new and well modified structure. It gives hot meals, has a salad bar , a coffee bar and also has the option of take away food. There is also a recycling bin beside the toilet which is very useful as it keeps the toilets cleaner than before. Besides the salad bar there is also a barbecue and a well designed outdoor seating arrangement which has 5 tables , 2 for 4 people and 3 for 6 people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several relevant features, including the kitchen, food services, recycling bins and outdoor seating, but the report only partially summarises the plans. It lacks a clear overview of the main changes, such as the former staff dining rooms being replaced by takeaway and coffee areas, and the addition of southern doors and outdoor seating. Some details are inaccurate: the outdoor area has four tables, not five, and the plans do not specify seating for four or six people. The claim that recycling keeps the toilets cleaner is an unsupported opinion rather than a feature shown in the plans. The response is also 142 words, below the required 150. To improve, compare the two layouts more systematically and report only visible information.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it first describes the former café and then the redesigned one. This makes the broad comparison understandable, and phrases such as “after the redesign” help signal the shift. However, the ideas are presented in only two long paragraphs, with the second combining several changes and an unsupported comment about cleanliness. The opening sentence repeats the task rather than giving an overview, and there is little explicit comparison between corresponding features. Organise the report into a brief introduction, an overview of the main changes, and a paragraph comparing the interior and exterior details. Use linking expressions to show what remained, what was replaced and what was added.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing facilities, including “serving area,” “salad bar,” “take away food” and “outdoor seating.” This gives the reader a basic understanding of the café’s functions. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or unsuitable for a factual plan description. “Redesignation” does not mean redesign, while “well modified structure” and “well designed” are vague evaluations rather than precise descriptions. “Outside it there were tables and chairs” also makes the location unclear. Aim for accurate terms that describe changes and positions, such as “was replaced by,” “was added,” and “along the southern wall.” Avoid evaluative language not supported by the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the basic sequence using simple past and present forms, and the sentences are generally understandable. There are attempts to combine information, for example, “There is also a recycling bin beside the toilet which is very useful,” but the sentence becomes long and joins a plan detail with an unsupported explanation. Several sentence patterns are repetitive, especially the repeated use of “There is/has.” There are also errors in sentence formation and punctuation: “The cafe before redesign had a kitchen … had staff dining rooms” lacks a clear parallel structure, and spaces appear before commas and full stops. Practise complete, parallel comparisons and use a wider mix of accurate complex sentences, while checking punctuation and articles.

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