Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-13
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 4.5)
The two maps illustrate the layout of floor plan of a public library before and its current arrangement.
Overall,the library has undergone siginificant changes particulary with the introduction of fully developed central library.In the corner side of cds, videos and computer games has been changed with new storytelling place with sofa has also been added for seating arrangement . second change, children's books has been replaced with lecture room . The south west the room of reading newspapers and magazines has been redesigned with computer room and moving toward the south east corner the cafe has been replaced from enquiry desk . Now come to middle of library , the entrance was same but the adult fiction books corner in southeastern side has been made for now all reference books and southwestern side adult non-fiction books side changed with adult fiction books and self-service machines has been provided to all.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to cover the main features of the library maps, pointing out major transformations such as the addition of a lecture room, a storytelling area, and a computer room. However, the response lacks a clear overview paragraph that summarises the overarching changes, which is a key requirement for Task 1. Furthermore, the reporting of specific details is frequently unclear or confusing, as seen in expressions like "the corner side of cds, videos and computer games has been changed with new storytelling place" and the convoluted description of the library's middle and eastern sections. While the general subject is addressed, the execution remains quite limited and lacks well-organised selection and comparison of data. Therefore, the performance aligns best with Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The text suffers from severe structural and cohesive deficiencies. The essay is presented as a single massive block of text with virtually no paragraphing, apart from a brief opening sentence split from the rest. This makes the progression difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are either missing, mechanical, or misused (e.g., "Now come to middle of library", "second change"), and referencing is often unclear, leaving the reader to guess spatial relationships. Although there is some logical progression attempted in moving across the floor plan, the lack of paragraphing and poor control of cohesive ties prevent the response from achieving a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 4.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a basic vocabulary with frequent inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and morphology. Examples include "siginificant" (spelling error), "storystelling place", and awkward prepositional uses like "changed with" instead of "replaced by". While the student attempts to name various functional areas of the library (e.g., "reference books", "self-service machines", "reading newspapers and magazines"), the limited range and noticeable errors cause frequent strain for the reader. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic, but fails to reach the level required for Band 6 due to the density of lexical errors and lack of precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
Grammatical control is weak throughout the response. The text relies heavily on simple structures, and attempts at complex sentences are generally faulty, leading to run-on sentences and ungrammatical clauses (e.g., "In the corner side of cds, videos and computer games has been changed with new storytelling place with sofa has also been added for seating arrangement"). There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement, articles, and prepositions, which often obscure the intended meaning and make the sentences difficult to parse. Because the range of structures is limited and errors are frequent, causing difficulty for the reader, this performance meets the criteria for Band 4.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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