Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-20

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 6.0)

The provided diagrams illustrate the layouts of a public library today and how it looked 20 years ago.

Overall, the library went through significant changes after the renovation. Multiple modern facilities and amenities have been installed now. One major change has been done by removing the tables and chairs from the center point of the library making it more spacious.

20 years ago, the library had computer zone at the top left corner, opposite to that was the children's book room, whereas adult fiction and non-fiction books section were just below them. At the center, tables and chairs were placed for readers. Left to the entrance, a reading room was located which had newspapers and magazines. While at the bottom right corner, enquiry desk counter can be noticed for tickets, book return purposes.

After the redesign, the library looks very sophisticated with much space after removing the tables and chair. At the bottom right corner, the enquiry counter has been replaced with cafe installment while the reading room at the bottom left corner is used as a computer room now. Adult non-fiction books section now occupies fiction book only even though there are information desk and 3 self-services machine have been included. Opposite to that is the all reference books section. At the top left, children section is created with many facilities like sofas and story telling events which was previously the game room while the original room for children is now a lecture room.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the library floor plan, including the major changes such as the removal of central seating and the introduction of new facilities like the cafe and lecture room. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant transformation. However, the description of the current layout is slightly confusing in places, particularly when describing the book sections, where the phrasing 'Adult non-fiction books section now occupies fiction book only' is unclear and contradicts the visual evidence. While the main features are reported, the comparison could be more precise to ensure the reader fully understands the spatial shifts between the two time periods.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the past and present layouts respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'while', and 'after the redesign' are used to link ideas. However, the progression within the second body paragraph is occasionally mechanical, and some referencing is slightly ambiguous, such as 'opposite to that' without a clear antecedent in the preceding sentence. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure allows the reader to follow the comparison, though the flow could be improved with more varied transition signals.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'sophisticated', 'amenities', and 'renovation' used correctly. There are some instances of awkward phrasing or word choice, such as 'cafe installment' instead of 'cafe area' or 'computer zone' which is slightly informal. The student attempts to use specific terminology related to the floor plan, but some inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'occupies fiction book only', limit the precision of the description. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more natural collocations and a wider range of precise descriptive language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the library went through significant changes after the renovation' (should be 'has gone through'), 'computer zone' (missing article 'a'), and 'tables and chair' (should be plural 'chairs'). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, such as 'Left to the entrance' instead of 'To the left of the entrance'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing.

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

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