Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-08

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 describe us the development of the public library floor plan 20 years ago and how it is now.

First, the central library 20 years ago are not much developed. As we entered there are enquiry desk and beside there was a reading room of news paper and magazines right after the entrance.

Then, we go and there are tables and chairs in center and at the right there are adult non-fictional books area and at the left there are area of adult fiction books. As we go there are children's book and on the other side there are CDs, videos, computer games and that's it.

Now, the central library today are modernises when we entered they add a cafe and computer room. Then, we go further and they extended the area of adult fiction books and now there are a information desk and also the three self-service machines and on the left side there are the area of some reference books and it is replaced by the adult fiction area.

And finally there are a lecture room and on the other side there are the area where we have children's fiction books and two sofa's at the corner and in between there are the story telling events. They remove the CD's, videos, computer games and replace with the story telling events .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the floor plan changes, such as the addition of the cafe, computer room, and lecture room, and the removal of the media section. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant changes, which is essential for a Band 7 or higher. The description is somewhat repetitive and relies on a 'walk-through' approach rather than a comparative analysis of the layout. While the main features are identified, the lack of a cohesive summary and the informal tone (e.g., 'and that's it') limit the effectiveness of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and repetitive, with frequent use of 'then' and 'and'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'as we go' or 'as we entered', which makes the spatial description feel more like a personal narrative than a formal report. Paragraphing is present but could be more effectively used to group related changes rather than just listing them sequentially.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There is a reliance on basic verbs like 'go', 'add', and 'remove'. Some word choices are inaccurate, such as 'modernises' (should be 'modernised') and 'news paper' (should be 'newspapers'). There is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations related to describing floor plans or architectural changes. The range is sufficient to convey the basic meaning but does not demonstrate flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'The diagram describe' (should be 'describes') and 'the central library... are' (should be 'is'). There are also errors with pluralisation, such as 'two sofa's' (should be 'sofas') and 'CD's' (should be 'CDs'). While some complex sentence structures are attempted, they are often marred by errors. The control of punctuation and tense consistency is weak, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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