Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-11-10

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 given diagram compares the blue print of 20 year old library with its present version.

Overall it is evident that , In the first design of library there is the good sitting arrangement whereas in second one it is almost decline.

Furthermore, there is an installment of the cafe could be seen in the second version.

Firstly, there was the information desk located besides the entrance which whould later replaced by the cafe. There was also a reading room in the first plan of the libraray which can be altered with the computer room in the next plan. Adult fiction books section remained in both the categories but in second one it is upgrade with the information desk and the self-service machine.

By further exploring the data, CDs ,videos computer games has removed and now there is a books belong to Children fiction category.

There is the lecture room in newly structured library compared with its old blue print there was a rack of children books.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the old reading room with a computer room, the addition of a café, and changes to the children’s and adult fiction areas. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: the phrase “almost decline” does not explain the overall redesign, and the plan does not show that the seating arrangement has declined. Some locations are also misreported. The old plan places the enquiry desk at the bottom right, not beside the entrance; the new information desk is in the middle-right area, while the café is at the bottom right. You also omit notable changes such as the lecture room and the removal of the central tables and chairs. Select the main changes more accurately and summarise them clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from an attempted overview to comparisons between the two plans, and paragraphing helps separate these functions. Linking expressions such as “Firstly” and “By further exploring the data” show an effort to guide the reader. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview’s “almost decline” is difficult to interpret, and the final sentence introduces the lecture room and children’s books without clearly explaining their locations or relationship. Some references, including “the second one” and “both the categories,” are vague, while “Furthermore” does not establish a clear connection to the preceding point. Group changes by area or by what was replaced, and use precise references to each plan.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary relevant to describing a plan, including “located,” “replaced,” “section,” “structured,” and “self-service machine.” These choices show some awareness of the language needed for comparisons. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions make the meaning less clear, such as “blue print,” “good sitting arrangement,” “almost decline,” and “a books belong to Children fiction category.” There are also spelling errors in “libraray” and “whould,” and “installment” is not the appropriate word for a new facility. Use standard map vocabulary and check collocations: for example, describe facilities as being “added,” “removed,” or “converted,” and refer to “children’s fiction books.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparative sentences, for example, “Adult fiction books section remained in both the categories but in second one it is upgrade with the information desk.” However, errors in articles, verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. Examples include “20 year old library,” “there is the good sitting arrangement,” and “which whould later replaced by the cafe”; the last clause needs a passive form such as “which was later replaced.” Tense use also shifts between past and present when describing the plans. Commas are misplaced in “Overall it is evident that , In the first design.” Practise accurate past-tense and passive constructions, and proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation.

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