Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-11

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 5.0)

In this diagrams we see the comparison between the libraries of different centuries and it also shows the changes which were done in the past.

In the first diagram we witness that there was a library in which there were four rooms at the corner of the walls of library and there was also a couple of tables at the center of the library and at the starting and the ending point of the middle row there were some facilities.

So, talking about the rooms in one room there was a setup of computer games and collection of different videos and they were also presented in the form of CDs and in the next room there were different types of book for children's and than heading towards the rooms located at the entrance. At the left side entrance there were a room in which reading books of different subject were presented and at the right side there were a enquiry desk in which information about different books was stored and presented.

After a huge discussion we see that there is a huge modification in the today's library in this different rooms occupied different goods and in this library they introduced cafe, lecture room and a section for children's in which they arrange different story telling programs ad than they emptied the middle area and on the the starting point they putted all reference books and at the end they provided all Adult fiction books, self service machines and also an information desk in which they could get information about everything regarding to library and books in it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the changes in the library floor plan, but it fails to provide a clear overview or a structured comparison. The description is overly narrative and lacks the analytical approach required for Task 1. For instance, phrases like 'After a huge discussion' are inappropriate for a formal report. While the main features are mentioned, the lack of a clear summary of the key trends (such as the shift from storage to community-focused spaces) limits the score. The response is more of a descriptive list than a concise summary of data, which is a requirement for this task type.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks logical progression. The paragraphing is ineffective, with the second paragraph being far too long and cluttered with information. Cohesive devices are used in a very mechanical and repetitive way, such as the frequent use of 'and' to link clauses, which makes the text feel like a run-on sentence. There is a lack of clear signposting between the past and present states, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison. The transition between the description of the rooms and the central area is abrupt and lacks cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'things', 'goods', and 'rooms' rather than using precise terminology related to floor plans or library facilities (e.g., 'layout', 'designated areas', 'amenities'). There are also issues with word choice, such as 'modification in the today's library' and 'putted', which is a non-standard form. The range is insufficient to convey the information with the precision expected at higher bands, and the phrasing often sounds unnatural or informal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('there was a couple of tables'), incorrect pluralization ('different types of book'), and awkward sentence structures. The use of articles is inconsistent, and there are errors in tense usage when describing the changes. While the student attempts some complex sentences, they are often poorly constructed or contain errors, such as 'in which they arrange different story telling programs ad than they emptied'. The control of punctuation is also weak, contributing to the run-on nature of the text.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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