The plans below show a college café before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Same questionCompare 7 different answers (Band 5.5–8.5)

Sample Response

1

The two maps delineatedelineates the layout of a college cafe before and after its redesign.reconfiguration. Overall, the most noticeable changes occur in the outdoor areas, with the addition of outdoor seatingwith more seating and a barbecue space. Furthermore, the staff dining rooms have been removedstaff dining rooms disappear in comparison to the emergence of a salad bar.emergence of salad bar. In the northwestnortheast of the cafe, the kitchen remains intact while the original serving area which providedprovides all sorts of food and drink has been replaced byis substituted with a counter for hot meals.regions for hot meals. Regarding the central areaRegarding central area of the cafe, there is a new salad bar located in the west of the cafe. Dining rooms offering meals for staff are replaced by spaces for takeaway food and a coffee bar to the east.coffee bar on the east of it. Meanwhile, in the southeasternBesides, on the southeastern corner, the toilets remain unchangedtoilets keep unchanged while to the north of it, the bin is transformed into larger recycling bins. When it comes to external areas, a barbecue area has been addedthe barbecue region is constructed accompanied by more outdoor seating where students can enjoy food.in which students can enjoy food there.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response successfully provides a clear overview and systematically highlights all major layout changes between the two plans. However, persistent grammatical inaccuracies—such as subject-verb agreement errors and awkward relative clauses—prevent higher performance. Prioritizing strict grammatical accuracy and refining prepositional phrasing will significantly enhance overall clarity.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TA

Task Achievement

7.0
Scoring rule

Key features and structural changes are accurately identified and contrasted against the visual plans, supported by an effective overview.

Next step

Ensure spatial locations are described with precise terminology, such as specifying along which wall new features were added.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0
Scoring rule

Information is logically organized into clear thematic sections, making the progression easy to follow.

Next step

Vary sentence transitions slightly to avoid relying on repetitive introductory linking phrases.

LR

Lexical Resource

7.0
Scoring rule

An appropriate range of map-description vocabulary is used flexibly to describe modifications and additions.

Next step

Refine word choices and collocations, such as replacing 'regions' with 'counter' or 'area' when describing service points.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

6.0
Scoring rule

A mix of simple and complex sentence structures is attempted, but recurring grammatical errors affect overall precision.

Next step

Focus on subject-verb agreement and eliminating redundant adverbs inside relative clauses.

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

The plans below show a college café before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

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