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 diagram illustrates the layout plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks currently.

Overall, 20 years ago, library was quite simple and there were limited facilities but at present, various addition made such as self-service machines and sofas. the arrangement of rooms are also changed.

it is quite evident that 20 years ago, Central library was quite simple. After entering, there was an enquiry desk on the east where people could inquire about tickets, book returns and other inquiries. On the west, there was a reading room where readers can read newspapers and magazines. there were also two set of tables and chairs. There was also range of other books such as adult fiction and non-fiction books on the both sides of library. At the right corner, there was some children's books and on the left corner there was kinds of CDs, videos and computer games.

At present, the arrangement of rooms are totally different. A cafe is introduced in place of enquiry desk. beside the cafe computer room is place there. library aslo introduced the sef-service machines. place for non-fiction adult books is replaced by all refrence books. children's fiction books is moved to the left corner with an addition story telling events book and two sofas for the readers. the right corner is reserved for the lecture room. information desk is moved to the beneath of self-service machines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both time periods and identify the broad change from a simpler layout to one with added facilities. Relevant details include the former enquiry desk and reading room, the central tables and chairs, and the current café, computer room, self-service machines and storytelling area. However, some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate: the current plan shows the information desk in the adult-fiction area, not beneath the self-service machines, and the storytelling events are an activity, not a book. The overview also says the arrangement is “totally different” without clearly summarising the main relocations and conversions. To strengthen the response, report the key changes more precisely, including the former children’s and media rooms becoming a storytelling room and lecture room, and the former reading room becoming a computer room.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, a description of the earlier plan and a paragraph on the current layout. This makes the two periods easy to distinguish. Some sequencing is also helpful, such as describing features on the west and east sides. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, with repeated openings such as “There was also” and “At present,” and several details are presented in a list-like sequence rather than grouped by location or type of change. References such as “there” and “place” are not always clear, particularly in “beside the cafe computer room is place there.” Organise the comparison around corresponding areas of the plan and use precise linking phrases such as “in contrast,” “while,” and “the former…now houses…”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for describing a library plan, including “layout,” “facilities,” “enquiry desk,” “self-service machines” and “replaced.” These terms help communicate the main features. However, word choice and spelling are often inaccurate, and some phrases are awkward or imprecise: “various addition made,” “two set of tables,” “kinds of CDs,” and “story telling events book.” There are also misspellings such as “sef-service,” “refrence” and “aslo,” which reduce the accuracy and polish of the description. Aim for standard collocations and accurate labels from the plan—for example, “a range of facilities,” “two sets of tables and chairs,” and “a room for storytelling events.” Proofreading spelling and word forms would make your meaning more consistently clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and the overall meaning is usually understandable. However, errors in articles, agreement, plurals and verb forms occur across the response. Examples include “library was quite simple” (missing an article), “various addition made,” “the arrangement of rooms are,” and “two set of tables and chairs.” Tense and clause construction are also unreliable in “beside the cafe computer room is place there,” while sentence-initial “the” is repeatedly left uncapitalised. These errors sometimes make individual statements difficult to follow, even though the main message can generally be recovered. Practise accurate basic sentence patterns first, then use controlled comparisons such as “The former reading room has been converted into a computer room.” Check articles, subject–verb agreement, plural endings and punctuation when editing.

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