Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-28

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 current and 20 year ago floor plan of the public library.

Overall, there was some many major changes occur in a library over a period of twenty year.

To begin , CDs, videos and computer games which was placed in the left side of the library is replace with storytelling events and children's fiction books also new sofa is install. Moving further, the place of adult fiction books was replaced with all reference books. However, new computer room is construct in the place of reading room .

Moreover, tables and chairs which was placed in the center of the library remove completely . Despite this, in the right corner of the library a new cafe is build . Furthermore, the place of adult non-fiction books was placed with adult fiction books, information desk and self service machines. The place of children's books which was located in north side of the central library is replaced with lecture room .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the library floor plan and made relevant comparisons between the two time periods. You covered the key changes, such as the addition of the cafe and the reconfiguration of the book sections. However, the response lacks a clear overview that synthesizes the most significant trends, such as the shift from a traditional reading space to a more modern, multi-functional facility. While you addressed all parts of the prompt, the description of the changes is somewhat list-like and could be better organized to highlight the transformation of the library's layout more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into a brief introduction and a body paragraph. However, the lack of paragraph breaks makes the text feel dense and difficult to navigate. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'Despite this', the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, for example, when you mention 'the place of adult non-fiction books was placed with adult fiction books', which is confusing. To improve, you should group related changes into distinct paragraphs and ensure that your transitions between ideas are more natural and logical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'illustrates', 'reconfigured', and 'replaced'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'new sofa is install' (should be 'installed') and 'new computer room is construct' (should be 'constructed'). These errors occasionally distract the reader. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise verbs and ensuring that your word forms (e.g., past participles) are used correctly in passive constructions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

Your grammar is the weakest area of this response. There are frequent errors in verb tense and subject-verb agreement, such as 'there was some many major changes occur' (should be 'there have been many major changes') and 'CDs... which was placed' (should be 'were placed'). Additionally, your use of passive voice is often grammatically incorrect, as seen in 'is replace' instead of 'has been replaced'. While you attempt some complex structures, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors hinders the clarity of your writing and prevents the text from being consistently accurate.

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

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