Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The schemes illustrate the college bar before it was reorganised and how it looks nowadays. It looks more well-developed nowadays and looks fantastic. Additionally, when we enter the main hall, there are recycling bins and at the corner are toilets; furthermore, there is a coffee bar where you can get food, and at last there is a salad bar where a barbecue and outdoor seating take place. In contrast, on the other side are hot meals and the kitchen, where we get hot and fresh food, while in a previous cafe before the design, there were bins, toilets and staff dining rooms and no outdoor activities or barbecue area where all food and drink are served, and we entered the main hall; therefore, there were tables and chairs and was less developed and had no decoration, like outdoor activities, while the cafe today serves hot meals and a salad bar and outdoor activities of barbecue

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast between the earlier café and its redesigned version, including the new outdoor seating and barbecue, the continued toilets, and changes to food provision. However, the main features are not reported clearly or accurately enough: for example, the staff dining rooms were replaced by takeaway food and a coffee bar, but this change is difficult to follow in your account. The overview that the café is “more well-developed” is vague and evaluative rather than a concise summary of the key spatial changes. Some details are also confused, such as suggesting that the salad bar is where the barbecue and outdoor seating take place. To improve, give a clear overview first, then describe the main changes by area and distinguish indoor facilities from the new outdoor area.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response contains relevant comparisons, and phrases such as “In contrast” show an attempt to connect the old and new plans. However, the information is largely presented as one long sequence, with no clear paragraphing or progression from an overview to specific changes. Several ideas are joined by “and,” “while,” and “therefore,” but these links do not always show the relationship between them. For instance, the sentence beginning “In contrast, on the other side…” moves between the new layout, the former café, and the entrance without a clear order. Organise the response into short paragraphs and group details spatially—for example, changes inside the café first, followed by the southern outdoor additions. Use linking words only where their meaning is precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “recycling bins,” “staff dining rooms,” “hot meals,” and “outdoor seating,” which helps identify features of the plans. There is also an attempt to vary wording with “reorganised” and “nowadays.” However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or informal for a plan description. “College bar” may misidentify the café, while “looks fantastic” and “decoration” add subjective meaning not shown in the plans. Repetition of “outdoor activities” and “barbecue” also reduces precision. Aim for neutral, location-focused language such as “was converted into,” “was added,” and “is situated,” and use the exact labels from the plans where possible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using subordinate clauses and contrast, as in “while in a previous cafe…” and “where you can get food,” but complex sentences are often difficult to follow because several clauses are joined together. The final sentence, for example, combines the former layout with the current facilities without a clear grammatical structure. There are also errors in sentence construction and agreement, including “at the corner are toilets” and “there were tables and chairs and was less developed,” where the subject of “was” is unclear. Punctuation does not sufficiently separate the many ideas. Use shorter sentences with one main comparison each, and check that every verb has a clear subject and that clauses are punctuated appropriately.

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