Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks now.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Central Library 20 years ago

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The map given illustrates a comparison between the floor plan of a public library from 20 years ago and now .

Overall, before 20 years reading room was in the lower left side becomes lecture room in the right side after the new designe now , also children's books place was changed from the right side to the left side . In contrast a several changes happned such as add some new facilities and also changes the type of rooms .

Before 20 years ago , there was enquiry desk for buying tickets , book returns and now becomes a new café , while reading rooms and children's books rooms becomes lecture rooms , children's fiction books , it also they made there a storytelling events and sofa ,respectively .

The compture rooms contained Cds, videos , it just changed in the place before it was in the up left side and now down left side .

On the other hand, a tables and chairs removed in the new layout , also add a self service machines , whereas in the floor adult ficiton books and adult non fiction books gathered in all reference books in the present , also the information desk becomes in the right floor in the lyout .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the removal of the central tables and chairs, the addition of a café and self-service machines, and the relocation of children’s books. These details are generally relevant and show an understanding of the comparison. However, some changes are unclear or inaccurate: the old reading room becomes a computer room, not a lecture room, and the old children’s room becomes a lecture room, while children’s fiction and storytelling are placed in the former CDs-and-games room. The overview also mixes up these transformations, making the main pattern harder to follow. You mention the adult book areas becoming reference books, but do not clearly explain that adult fiction remains in the library and is now beside the information desk. More precise, fully developed comparisons would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an overall structure, moving from an opening and overview to details about the rooms and other facilities. This gives the reader some sense of the comparison. However, progression within paragraphs is difficult to follow because several changes are combined in long, loosely connected sentences. For example, the sentence beginning “while reading rooms and children's books rooms becomes…” lists multiple transformations without making clear which old room corresponds to each new use. Linking phrases such as “In contrast” and “On the other hand” are used, but the relationships they signal are not always logical or clear. Organise the details by location or by type of change, and use shorter sentences with clear references to the old and new plans.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a library plan, including “floor plan,” “facilities,” “self service machines,” and “information desk.” This gives you a workable range for the task. However, spelling and word-choice errors sometimes make the description less clear, such as “compture,” “ficiton,” “designe,” and “happned.” Some phrases are also imprecise or unnatural: “the floor adult fiction books and adult non fiction books gathered in all reference books” does not clearly express the change in book sections, and “for buying tickets” is not an accurate description of the enquiry desk’s function. Use accurate labels from the plan and practise collocations for describing relocation and replacement, such as “was converted into” and “was relocated to.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “while,” “whereas,” and “in contrast.” However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms often make relationships between features difficult to understand. For instance, “reading room was in the lower left side becomes lecture room” shifts between past and present without a clear grammatical structure, while “a several changes happned” has problems with article use and agreement. There are also missing or misplaced articles and punctuation, as in “add a self service machines” and the frequent spaces before commas and full stops. Build comparisons with complete clauses and consistent tenses—for example, “The former reading room has been converted into a computer room”—and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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