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 illustration displays a college cafeteria before redesigning it and after it.

Overall, the seating capacity increased as now it has outdoor seating aswell. Staff dining rooms were replaced with take away food counter and a coffee bar. Kitchen area have also been renovated. A salad bar and a barbecue section have also been added.

Cafe had serving area where all food and drink were served but it has been replaced with hot meals section.

Salad bar and a barbecue section is included now which were previously not there. Normal bins are replaced with recycling bins now.

Toilet area is exactly the same as before. However, a new entrance near the toilet has been added. Moreover, staff dining rooms has been replaced with a coffee bar and a counter of take away food. A new exit gate near the barbecue section has been added with outdoor seatings infront of it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee facilities, the new salad bar, recycling bins, and outdoor seating. The overview also recognises that the café’s seating provision has expanded. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the kitchen is described as renovated, although it remains in the same position, and the plan shows new doors to the outdoor seating rather than a new entrance near the toilets. The barbecue is outside to the south-west, but the response places the exit near it. The serving counter’s change to hot meals is correctly reported. To develop the account further, describe the main layout changes more precisely and distinguish new features from unchanged ones.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall structure, beginning with an introduction and overview before moving to specific changes. This helps the reader identify the general comparison. However, progression is limited because several points are repeated: the replacement of the staff dining rooms and the addition of the salad bar and barbecue appear more than once. Connections such as “However” and “Moreover” are used, but they do not always clarify the relationship between ideas, and the final paragraph combines unrelated details about toilets, the north-side facilities, and the outdoor area. Grouping changes by location or by what stayed the same versus what changed would create a clearer sequence. More precise referencing would also help readers follow which entrance or area is meant.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “serving area,” “hot meals,” “recycling bins,” and “outdoor seating,” so the main changes are generally understandable. There are also attempts to vary wording, such as “replaced” and “added.” Some choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing a plan: “exit gate” is not supported by the diagram, “seat­ings” is not the natural form here, and “renovated” suggests a change to the kitchen that the plan does not show. “Cafeteria” and “cafe” are both understandable, though consistent use of “café” would be more polished. Aim for precise spatial and facility terms, and avoid wording that adds an interpretation not shown in the plans.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including contrast with “but” and “However,” and most of the meaning remains clear. Some grammatical errors persist in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “Kitchen area have also been renovated” needs a singular verb, while “Salad bar and a barbecue section is included” has a plural subject that requires a plural verb. “Staff dining rooms has been replaced” also shows subject–verb disagreement. The phrase “before redesigning it and after it” is awkwardly formed, and “aswell” should be written as two words. Check subject–verb agreement and use consistent past and present forms when comparing the two plans.

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