Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-03

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)

There are two maps given which give the detailed information of before and after the cafe was redesigned.

Overall, cafe before the redesign were quite simple. There were two main hall in the building. The large hall consists of two staff dining rooms and in open hall we see many tables and chairs. In down right corner there are toilets and fro, two steps away bin is placed in front of toilets door. On the top left corner the second hall was consist of kitchen and serving area where all type of foods and drinks being served.

In contrast from old design there are many new things are added. Cafe participated in three main section. The new thing that is added in the recent change is the outdoor seating for the barbecue. The staff dining rooms are replaced with take away food and coffee bar in the main hall all the infrastucture is remain same instead of interior changing, salad bar and recycling bins are newly added. The section where the kitchen is located is same as before but the type of food that served is changed into hot meals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast between the simpler original café and the redesigned one, and cover several important changes: the staff dining rooms become a takeaway-food area and coffee bar, a salad bar and recycling bins are added, and the kitchen counter now serves hot meals. The overview also notes the new outdoor seating and barbecue. This is a relevant summary, but some details are unclear or inaccurate: the café is not divided into “three main section,” and the outdoor seating and barbecue are outside the building rather than a seating area “for the barbecue.” You also say the infrastructure remains the same, although the southern doors and outdoor facilities are new. Clarifying these points and describing the main layout changes more precisely would make the coverage more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable progression: it first describes the original plan, then contrasts it with the current layout. Paragraphing supports this comparison, and linking phrases such as “Overall” and “In contrast” help signal the structure. However, some connections between ideas are awkward or unclear. For example, “In down right corner there are toilets and fro, two steps away bin is placed” interrupts the description, while “Cafe participated in three main section” does not clearly introduce the changes that follow. The final paragraph also combines several changes in a long sequence, making their relationships harder to follow. Grouping the new features by location and using clearer references to the old and new plans would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “staff dining rooms,” “serving area,” “tables and chairs,” “take away food,” and “recycling bins.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main features. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “cafe participated in three main section,” “infrastructure is remain same,” and “the type of food that served is changed.” “Hall” is also repeated where “area” or “section” would be more suitable. There are spelling and form errors, including “infrastucture,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise location and change vocabulary, and check collocations and spelling so that the reader can understand each feature without having to infer your meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in agreement, articles, and verb forms occur across the response. For example, “cafe before the redesign were” should use a singular verb, while “There were two main hall” needs a plural noun. The construction “the second hall was consist of” uses an incorrect verb form, and “all type of foods and drinks being served” lacks a finite verb. In the final paragraph, “all the infrastucture is remain same” also combines incompatible verb forms. These errors sometimes make relationships between features unclear. Practise accurate past and present descriptions, subject–verb agreement, and complete clauses, while retaining your attempts at longer sentences.

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

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