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 below shows information about cafe before and after the renovation of it.The few changes have been done.

We can clearly see in map that kitchen is on his place,the serving arean where all kind of food and drinks are available now it has been replaced by hot meals .For Instance before all kind of food and drink is available now only hot meals are available and the staff dinning room is replaced by take away food and coffee bar ,before the place iss seleceted for staff to eat food means a specific room is given to staff for eating food.Now there is cofffee bar for customers and take away food means people that do not want to dine in ,they can receive there order from here.Table and chairs area is same before and after renovation.Recycling bin is also same before and after redesigned.Toilets are at on place. The main difference is that the specific area is made for outdoor seating for people to sit at open atmosphere to get peaceful vibes and the main benefit is that we can also do barbecue at outdoor seating

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the kitchen remaining in place, the former staff dining rooms becoming a takeaway area and coffee bar, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. These details show a relevant understanding of the plans. However, some comparisons are inaccurate: the recycling bins are not “the same” as before, since the original plan shows a single bin, and the new salad bar is omitted. The overview is also limited; “The few changes have been done” does not clearly summarise the main transformation. Some explanations, such as why customers use takeaway food, are not needed in a map summary and take space from describing the layout. State the key changes clearly, then report the main features accurately and objectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response moves from the kitchen and serving counter to the former staff rooms, then the central seating, facilities and outdoor area, so a basic sequence of comparisons is present. However, it is written as one continuous paragraph, and the progression is weakened by repeated use of “before” and “now” and by abrupt transitions such as “For Instance.” Several ideas are joined into long sentences, making the relationships between changes harder to follow. The explanations about staff dining and takeaway customers interrupt the map description. Organise the response into a short overview and one or two detail paragraphs, grouping internal changes separately from the new outdoor facilities, and use clear comparison links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary such as “renovation,” “staff dining room,” “take away food,” “coffee bar,” and “outdoor seating,” which helps communicate the main changes. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or repetitive: “the few changes have been done” is vague, while “peaceful vibes” is informal for an academic report. Spelling errors, including “arean,” “dinning,” “cofffee,” and “selecected,” also reduce accuracy. Some phrases, such as “at open atmosphere,” do not express the intended meaning naturally. Aim for concise, neutral map language, using terms such as “was converted into,” “remained unchanged,” and “was added,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect ideas using clauses and comparisons, for example, “the serving area … now it has been replaced by hot meals,” but many sentences are difficult to control. Errors in articles, agreement, tense and sentence boundaries occur throughout: “information about cafe,” “The few changes have been done,” and “Toilets are at on place” are examples. The long sentence beginning “For Instance before…” combines several points without clear punctuation, and “kitchen is on his place” has an unclear pronoun reference. These errors sometimes make the intended relationships difficult to understand. Use shorter, complete sentences with consistent past-versus-present forms, and practise accurate patterns such as “The serving area was replaced by a hot-meal counter” and “The toilets remained in the same location.”

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.