Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-18
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 map delineates the layout of school library 20 years ago and today, illustrating the changes that occured between these years.
A general overview reveals that corner of Adult non-fiction books underwent the most significant transformation, while the entrance remains in it's original position throughout the period. Overall, the area experienced considerable development, with several features added, removed, relocated or replaced.
Further analysis indicates that corner for CDs, videos and computer games was situated at the top left side of the library 20 years ago, prior to being replaced by children section. Meanwhile, lecture room was introduced.
In contrast, the entrance remained unchanged, whereas adult section underwent notable transformation. Additionally, cafe was built at the bottom right of the library, resulting in considerably different layout after 20 years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the library maps from 20 years ago and today. However, the response falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 128 words. Consequently, the development of ideas is limited, and several key features, such as the addition of the lecture room, computer room, and self-service machines, are only superficially mentioned or omitted entirely. While an overview is attempted, the overall response lacks the necessary detail and extension required to achieve a higher band score. To improve, the writer must ensure they fully meet the word count requirement and provide a more comprehensive breakdown of the spatial changes shown in the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates some organisation with the use of basic linking words and introductory phrases, such as "A general overview reveals" and "In contrast". The essay is structured into distinct paragraphs representing an introduction, an overview, and body details. However, progression is somewhat disjointed due to the brevity of the text. Referencing is occasionally imprecise, as seen in phrases like "corner of Adult non-fiction books" where the spatial description is slightly vague. Paragraphing is present, but the overall logical flow could be strengthened by grouping related spatial transformations more cohesively and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common collocations and topic-specific terms such as "transformation", "relocated", and "significant development". However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as "layout of school library" (missing the article 'the' and misidentifying it as a school rather than a public library) and "entrance remains in it's original position" (incorrect use of the apostrophe). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general message, errors in word choice and control limit the score to a 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'while' and 'whereas'. There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text. These include missing articles ("layout of school library", "children section", "lecture room", "cafe"), punctuation errors ("it's" instead of "its"), and spelling mistakes ("occured" instead of "occurred"). Despite these errors, meaning is generally not impeded, and simple sentences are usually accurate. To improve, the student needs to pay closer attention to articles and grammatical precision in complex constructions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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