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 map plan illustrates how a college cafeteria looks before and after its redevelopment.

overall, the building has undergone significant redevelopment. the staff dining rooms and serving area has been reduced, while more over areas adjusted outside of cafe.

The cafe before redesigned, the kitchen have been placed at upper corner of left side above the serving all foods and drinks area. while the tables and chairs were managed at middle of cafe . in addition staff dining rooms have been located beside the sitting area. although toilets have been located at right corner of the cafe and bin placed front of the toilets.

The cafe after redevelopment, the kitchen, sitting areas, fresh room snd recycling bins has been stayed remains. while salad bar room were constructed new. however, servicing area converted its name into hot meals. in addition, staff dining rooms changed into two different rooms of take away food room and coffee bar room. with outside of cafe area, covered more seating areas with tables and chairs. moreover constructed barbeque room.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main change as a significant redevelopment and compare the café before and after, including the kitchen, seating, toilets, former staff dining rooms, new food counters, and outdoor facilities. These are relevant features, and the overview recognises that the layout has changed. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the staff dining rooms were replaced, not reduced, and the kitchen and central seating area remained. The response also misses notable changes such as the two new southern doors and the salad bar’s position along the western wall. Develop the overview by clearly distinguishing what stayed the same from what was added or repurposed, and describe the main locations more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the café before and after redevelopment. This gives the reader a basic chronological comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, and linking words are often mechanical or incorrectly attached. For example, “while” begins a fragment after a full stop, and “moreover constructed barbeque room” does not connect clearly to the preceding point. Some references, such as “the sitting area” and “fresh room,” are unclear. Group details by location or by what changed versus what remained, and use complete sentences with more precise referencing to make the comparison easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “redevelopment,” “serving area,” “tables and chairs,” “recycling bins,” and “outdoor seating.” This gives you a workable range for the task, but inaccurate word choice and collocation sometimes make the description unclear. For instance, “the staff dining rooms and serving area has been reduced” does not accurately express that the rooms were replaced and the serving counter was relabelled. Phrases such as “fresh room,” “barbeque room,” and “more over areas adjusted” are also imprecise. Choose the labels shown on the plan where possible, and use natural terms such as “counter,” “section,” and “outdoor area.” Check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons with “while” and additions with “in addition.” However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to make some relationships difficult to understand. Examples include “the kitchen have been placed,” “the staff dining rooms and serving area has been reduced,” and “the kitchen, sitting areas, fresh room snd recycling bins has been stayed remains.” Several clauses beginning with “while,” “although,” or “moreover” are left incomplete or joined awkwardly. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use the past tense for the former plan and the present tense for the current layout. Proofread agreement and punctuation.

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