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)

The map illustrated the changing about college cafe. There was a hug service area where all kind of foods and drinks were available ,however in todays service area have been removed from there and built a hot meals ,moreover there was staff dining rooms in the centre of college cafe but now these room have been uninstalled and install a take away and coffee bar . The biggest redesigning in college cafe is outdoor seating due to the fact there was no any space to sat outside the cafe that looks amazing . On the other hand in old cafe there was no any salar bar but now it have been built in the west side of the cafe .Bin have been converted into recycling bin and the place of toilets remained same in the old cafe and new cafe . Overall we saw many biggest chanding in the college cafe .To sum up by these changing cafe have more facilities for individuls.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee facilities, the addition of a salad bar and outdoor seating, and the conversion of the bin to recycling bins. You also correctly note that the toilets remain in the same place. This covers the main transformation, but some features are less fully reported: the kitchen remains, the central tables and chairs are retained, and the new barbecue is not mentioned. The overview is also vague—“many biggest chanding” does not clearly summarise the overall redesign. Avoid subjective comments such as “that looks amazing”; instead, describe the layout objectively and explain how the new facilities change the café.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response groups several comparisons into a broadly understandable account, and linking phrases such as “however,” “moreover” and “on the other hand” show an effort to connect ideas. However, the information is presented as one long paragraph, with no clear separation between an overview and specific changes. Several connectors are used awkwardly or do not express the relationship clearly, and the sequence moves between the serving area, staff rooms, outdoor seating, salad bar and toilets without a consistent route through the plan. Organise the response into an introduction and overview, followed by a paragraph on internal changes and one on the outdoor area. Use simpler, more precise transitions to make the comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a redesign, including “service area,” “staff dining rooms,” “take away,” “coffee bar,” “west side” and “recycling bin.” However, word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the description less clear. For example, “changing about” is not a natural way to introduce the plans, “uninstalled” does not fit the removal of rooms, and “salar bar” appears to mean “salad bar.” Phrases such as “biggest redesigning” and “more facilities for individuls” are also imprecise. Build a set of accurate map-description terms—such as “was replaced by,” “was converted into,” “was added” and “remained unchanged”—and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses and contrast, for example in “there was a hug service area … however in todays service area have been removed.” This shows an effort to use more than short, simple sentences, but complex constructions are often faulty, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence boundaries can make the reader work to understand the changes. For instance, “these room have been uninstalled and install” shifts between singular/plural agreement and verb forms, while “it have been built” does not agree with its subject. Use past simple for the former plan and present simple or present perfect for the current layout, and keep each comparison in a complete, controlled sentence. Check punctuation around linking words as well.

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

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