Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-17

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 diagram illustrates how a public library looks now compared to the layout mapped out for 20 years ago. Overall, the central library moved from the traditional setting previously designed to being a modern and conventional environment with the inclusion of technology.

20 years ago, the building was designed to have its entrance situated north which paves way to the hallway, This hallway has two circular tables and chairs and divides the library into two sides with the right side having the children's books at the north-east, adult non-fiction books at the east and the enquiry desk where

questions concerning books, book returns, etc at the south-east of the building. On the other hand, the left side has the adult fiction-books at the west is directly opposite the tables and chairs; the CDs, videos and computer games at the North-

west and the reading room where magazines and newspapers at the South-west.

Today, the Central Library took a different turn from the mapped out design. The entrance which remained at the planned spot leads to the hallway which still demarcates the library into two with the lecture room at the North east and the cafe at the south east. It also has an information desk at the east, which separates adult fiction boots from three self service machines. Meanwhile, the compartment for the children's fiction books which has a two sided sofa for story telling events is situated north-west as opposed to the north-east as planned years ago. Then, the reference books is located at the west while the computer room is located south-west.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the task by comparing the two floor plans of the central library over a 20-year period. A clear overall overview is provided in the opening paragraph, noting the shift toward a more modern and technologically equipped environment. The main features of both layouts are reported, such as the relocation of the children's fiction books, the addition of the lecture room, computer room, and café, as well as the introduction of self-service machines. However, there are minor spatial inaccuracies, such as placing the entrance to the north when the plan shows it at the bottom center. Despite this minor misreading of orientation, the response covers the essential changes well and satisfies the requirements of this task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction followed by body paragraphs detailing the past and present layouts. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', '20 years ago', 'On the other hand', 'Today', and 'Meanwhile' are used to guide the reader through the spatial transitions. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods. However, referencing and cohesion can occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and sentence structures within the body paragraphs run on with multiple clauses linked by conjunctions, which slightly affects the overall flow and clarity of spatial relationships.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a floor plan, utilizing terms like 'layout', 'compartment', 'demarcates', and 'situated'. There are some successful attempts at less common vocabulary, but also noticeable lexical inaccuracies, such as 'adult fiction boots' instead of 'adult fiction books', and awkward phrasing like 'the central library moved from the traditional setting previously designed'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect a limited precision in word choice and collocation, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 territory.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'where questions concerning books, book returns, etc at the south-east'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, such as missing prepositions ('where magazines and newspapers at the South-west', 'reference books is located'), incorrect verb forms ('paves way', 'took a different turn'), and comma splices. While these errors do not completely obscure meaning, their frequency prevents the score from reaching a higher band.

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