Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The given diagram depicts the college cafe before modified and after construced and presents cafe new looks.

It can be clearly seen from the given information, toilets and bin are located in south east corner and it was still in same place aftr constructed except

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response makes a relevant start by identifying the plans as showing the café before and after changes, and it notes that the toilets and bin are in the south-east area. However, it stops after an unfinished phrase (“except”), so it does not provide a usable overview or describe the main redesign features. Important changes—including the new takeaway and coffee areas, salad bar, outdoor seating and barbecue—are not reported, and the bin is now described as recycling bins. The task is only minimally addressed. The response is also 105 words below the required minimum, leaving too little information to summarise and compare the plans. Complete the comparison and select several major changes before adding minor details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: the first sentence introduces the diagrams, and the second begins to describe a feature that remains in place. The phrase “It can be clearly seen” also signals a move towards reporting the plans. However, the response ends abruptly at “except,” so the comparison is incomplete and there is no clear progression from an overview to specific changes. The relationship between the bin and toilets is not developed into a coherent account of the layout. Use a short overview paragraph followed by one or two paragraphs grouping the internal changes and the new outdoor facilities. Complete each sentence and use clear links such as “while,” “in addition,” and “whereas.”

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “diagram,” “college cafe,” “toilets,” “bin,” and “south east corner,” so the reader can identify the general subject and one location. However, the vocabulary is too limited to describe the redesign, and several choices or forms are inaccurate: “before modified,” “after construced,” and “cafe new looks” do not express the intended meaning naturally. “Bin” also misses the more precise label “recycling bins” for the current plan. Build a task-specific range for facilities and changes, such as “was replaced by,” “was added,” “counter,” and “outdoor seating.” Check spelling and use natural phrases such as “before the redesign” and “the café’s current layout.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts two sentence forms, including a passive construction in “It can be clearly seen,” and the basic meaning of the opening is partly understandable. However, grammatical control is limited: “before modified” lacks a suitable verb form, while “toilets and bin are located” has a number mismatch between the plural subject and singular noun. The second sentence also ends with “except,” leaving its clause incomplete and making the comparison impossible to follow. The opening sentence has no clear grammatical structure for contrasting the two plans. Practise complete sentences with accurate articles and verb forms, for example, “The plans show the café before and after it was redesigned.” Then use past and present forms consistently to describe changes and features that remain.

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