Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-12
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 two diagrams illustrate how a central library has been changed over a 20-year period.
Overall, it can be seen that the site underwent significant changes over the period with several existing features being removed and replaced and number of new facilities being introduced while entrance remained the same.
The room for CDs, videos and computer games has been expanded and replaced by storytelling events and children’s books room in which sofas are placed at north-west corner and with the wall of east side. In addition, area of adult fiction book converted into all reference books, whereas, reading room on west- south corner changed into computer room.
In addition, round table and chairs are being placed in the center. Similarly, room for children books converted into lecture room while, room for adult’s non-fiction books replaced by adult fiction books, and information desk also placed in this room with three self-service machines. At last, the enquiry desk for tickets, book returns etc has been transformed into cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers the main features of the library floor plan from 20 years ago and how it looks now, making appropriate comparisons across the two time periods. The response successfully identifies key alterations, such as the replacement of the media room with storytelling areas and the relocation of adult and children book sections. The overview provided in the second paragraph captures the general transformation effectively. However, some descriptions of locations and specific changes are slightly imprecise or muddled, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed with relevant information, earning a solid band score for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The report has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression, starting with an introductory statement and a general overview, followed by specific details about spatial changes. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Similarly', and 'At last' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive in their placement. Paragraphing is attempted, but the main body body-paragraphing is compressed into a dense chunk of text rather than being broken down into logical subsets (such as the west side versus the east side), which detracts from the ease of reading. Referencing is mostly clear, but the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a floor plan, using words like 'expanded', 'replaced', 'transformed', and 'facilities'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are occasionally marred by inaccurate word choice or collocation, such as 'area of adult fiction book converted into all reference books' and 'reading room on west-south corner'. Spelling is generally accurate, but some phrasing sounds unnatural or unidiomatic. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, inaccuracies in phrasing limit the score to a band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some attempt at varied structures through relative clauses and passive voice constructions, as seen in 'which sofas are placed at north-west corner' and 'are being placed in the center'. However, there are notable grammatical errors and missing articles throughout the text, such as 'and number of new facilities', 'on west-south corner', and 'room for children books'. Punctuation is basic and sometimes faulty. These errors do not entirely impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent the grammar score from rising into the higher bands.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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