Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-16

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 floor plan of a central library 20 years ago and how it looks today.

Overall, the library undergo a lot of major development with addition of different facilities for library users. Today the central library has become more attractive with a lot of options available for people than it has previously.

Central library 20 years ago had minimum facilities. Table and chairs at the centre of the library. Near the entrance door it has two section on the east side there was an admin office for tickets and books return. West side had a reading room containing newspapers and magazines. North-east has dedicated room for children`s book. Oppose to it in North-west side there was room to play CDs, videos and computer games. While the centre of library has two open books section on the right side of the table and chair for adult non-fiction books and left side for adult fiction books.

Public library today has more option and good service for the users. Even though everything replaced entrance gate remained on its original position. There`s an addition of facilities like two sofa`s , story telling event and children`s fiction at North-west and a lecture room at North-east. A cafe on the right side of the entrance gate and computer room on the left. While tables and chair got removed from the centre. Above the computer room has now all reference book and on opposite direction are now consist of adults fiction books, an informative desk and a three self-service machines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the floor plan changes, including the removal of the central seating and the addition of new facilities like the cafe and lecture room. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you mention that the library has undergone 'major development,' the summary could be more precise by highlighting the shift from a space focused on reading/media to one incorporating social and digital services. Some details, such as the specific locations of the children's fiction and the reference books, are described in a way that is slightly difficult to follow without looking at the diagram, which limits the clarity of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, moving from an introduction to the past layout and then the current layout. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally awkward. Phrases like 'While the centre of library' and 'Oppose to it' are used to link ideas, but they do not always flow naturally. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing locations (e.g., 'Above the computer room has now all reference book'). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns or spatial references clearly point to the intended objects would significantly enhance the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the floor plan, using terms like 'facilities,' 'entrance gate,' and 'self-service machines.' However, there are several instances of inaccurate word choice and collocation, such as 'the library undergo a lot of major development' (should be 'has undergone') and 'on opposite direction are now consist of' (should be 'consists of'). Additionally, there are minor errors in pluralization and possessives, such as 'two sofa's' and 'children`s book.' To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise verbs and ensuring that nouns and verbs agree in number and form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('the library undergo'), missing articles ('at centre of the library'), and incorrect prepositional usage ('on the east side there was an admin office'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of apostrophes (e.g., 'sofa's' instead of 'sofas'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for small grammatical slips would be beneficial.

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