Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-29

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 illustrates a college canteen before it was construction and how it looks today.

Overall,it is clear that before renovation cafe looked very simple. But after complete construction cafe looks moderan. Now cafe is very attractive for visitors. After redesign add many things in college shop. Some location also changed.

First of all, in this map, we can see that toilets were located at the bottom on left corner. The kitchen was located at the right corner on top. The serving area ( all food & drink ) was also located at the same location. The serving area was located at the fron of kitchen. The waste area ( Bin ) is near to toilets. The staff dining rooms were located at the middel in this map.

On the other hand, after renovation cafe looks moderan. Today, add many things in the college cafe. The kitchen, toilets and bin location remained same. The salad bar added at the right side in this map. The staff dining rooms were converted into take away food and coffeebar. A barbecue point added at the bottom side and also outdoor seating area added at the same location.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from a simple café to a redesigned one and mention several relevant features, including the new salad bar, takeaway and coffee-bar sections, barbecue, and outdoor seating. However, important details are misreported: the toilets were in the bottom-right corner, not the bottom-left, and the kitchen was in the upper-left, not the upper-right. The bin was on the eastern wall, not near the toilets, and the serving counter was beside the kitchen rather than clearly at its front. The overview is also largely subjective (“very attractive”) and does not summarise the main physical changes. Give a concise overview of what was added or repurposed, then describe locations accurately and include the recycling bins and new southern access.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the earlier and current layouts. This makes the comparison reasonably easy to follow. However, progression is weakened by repeating that the café looks “modern” and that many things were added, rather than grouping the changes by area or explaining them precisely. Connectors such as “First of all” and “On the other hand” are used, but the latter does not express a clear contrast between the two layouts. Some references, including “the same location” and “this map,” are vague. Organise the body around the north, central, and southern areas, and use clear comparisons such as “whereas” or “while” to link old and new features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant terms, including “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “salad bar,” and “outdoor seating,” so the reader can recognise several features. However, vocabulary is limited and repetitive: “located,” “added,” and “looks” recur, while “many things” and “very attractive” are imprecise or subjective for a plan description. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “moderan,” “middel,” “fron,” and “coffeebar,” which reduce accuracy. Choose precise verbs for changes and use standard forms consistently. For example, describe facilities as “introduced,” “replaced,” or “retained,” and refer to the café’s layout rather than judging its attractiveness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most sentences are short and follow simple patterns, and the reader can generally understand the intended comparison. However, errors occur frequently in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “before it was construction” does not form a correct passive construction, and “after redesign add many things” lacks an appropriate subject and verb form. “The salad bar added” and “A barbecue point added” also need passive verbs, such as “was added.” There are further problems with articles and punctuation, including “Overall,it” and “in bottom on left corner.” Use a consistent past tense for the earlier plan and present tense for today, and practise accurate passive forms to describe changes.

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.