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 Maps compare the designs of college cafe before and after the reconstruction of cafe and how it looks now.

overall, the diagram shows comparison between new and old design. first design includes only inside sitting, while second design is modified with outside sitting, large area with full developments.

In detail, the area of cafe changes before and after redesign. Before redesign the map demostrate kitchen present on upper left side with one serving area for all food and drinks. In middle large seating area with two private staff dining rooms and common toilets for inside seating lounge with one common trash bin.

After redesign area is increase of the cafe. kitchen remain on same side, but the number of food counters increase such as salad bar, barbecue, hot meals, coffee bar. middle sitting area, toilets remain unchanged, but staff dinning is replaced with take away food and coffee bar, while trash bin modified into recycling bin.

moreover, outside sitting area developed for barbecue counter in previous map no outside sitting is present.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main transformation: the café gains outdoor seating, while the kitchen and toilets remain in place, and the former staff dining rooms are replaced by customer facilities. These are relevant comparisons and give the response a clear overall direction. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the barbecue is outside beside the seating, not a “barbecue counter” among the indoor food counters, and the response does not mention the two new southern doors or the four outdoor tables. The overview also says the new design has a “large area,” without specifying that the expansion is outdoor. Covering these features more precisely and distinguishing indoor counters from outdoor facilities would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the original and redesigned café. Linking expressions such as “Before redesign,” “After redesign,” and “moreover” help signal the comparison. However, progression is sometimes weakened by abrupt or crowded sentences, especially the long sentence beginning “After redesign area is increase,” which combines several changes without clear grouping. The overview repeats the idea of comparing old and new designs rather than summarising the key changes, and “moreover” introduces information that could be integrated into the description of the new layout. Organise the details into clearer groups—unchanged features, indoor changes, and outdoor additions—and use more precise referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “serving area,” “seating area,” “staff dining rooms,” and “recycling bin.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main changes, and some terms are appropriately specific. However, several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision: “sitting” is repeatedly used where “seating” is more natural, “demostrate” is misspelled, and “full developments” does not clearly describe the redesign. “Barbecue counter” is also an inaccurate label for the outdoor barbecue area. Aim for consistent, accurate collocations and distinguish facilities from areas; this will make the description clearer without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparative sentences, for example, “kitchen remain on same side, but the number of food counters increase.” However, grammatical control is uneven, and errors sometimes make relationships between features difficult to follow. Examples include missing articles in “designs of college cafe,” subject–verb agreement in “kitchen remain” and “area … increase,” and the incomplete construction “Before redesign the map demostrate kitchen present.” The sentence beginning “middle sitting area, toilets remain unchanged” also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Use complete clauses with consistent past or present tense, and check articles, agreement, and punctuation. Shorter, accurately formed sentences would help you express the comparisons more reliably.

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.