Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The maps illustrate the current layout of a public library and how it looked 20 years ago.

Overall, the public library underwent various changes, including the addtion of a lecture room, a cafe and a computer room. However, the main entrance of the library remained unchanged.

20 years ago, the entrance of the library was in the middle of the south side. Enquiry desk was located adjacent to the entrance on the right-hand side, while reading room was on the left-hand side. In the middle of the library, tables and chairs were arranged. In the north side of the library, children's books were placed in the right-hand side and CDs, videos and computer games were on the left-hand side. Adult fiction and Adult non-fiction books were on the west and east side, respectively.

At present, CDs, videos and computer games are replaced with stroytelling events, Children's fiction books and sofa are placed in the same area. Children's books room, Reading room and enquiry dest are converted into a lecture room, a computer and a cafe, respectively. In the east part of the library information desk is formed along with self-service machines on the top Adult fiction books are placed. All reference books are placed on the west side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons between the two floor plans. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting key structural modifications such as the addition of the lecture room, cafe, and computer room, alongside elements that remained unchanged. Specific spatial details, such as the relocation of books and the conversion of the reading room into a computer room, are accurately described based on the provided visual data. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and omissions in spatial referencing, such as minor typos in room names and missing articles. Overall, the response is well-grounded in the visual data and fulfills the requirements of Academic Task 1 effectively, aligning well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by a clear overview, and then detailing the past layout and current layout respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', '20 years ago', and 'At present' are used to signal chronological progression and structure the comparison effectively. However, referencing and paragraph transitions are occasionally mechanical, and some sentences lack smooth cohesive links (e.g., 'In the east part of the library information desk is formed along with self-service machines on the top Adult fiction books are placed'). Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but overall cohesion could be more seamless to achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a map, using terms such as 'layout', 'adjacent', 'converted', and 'relocated'. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary, but some lexical choices and word forms are inaccurate or misspelled, such as 'addtion' instead of 'addition', 'stroytelling' instead of 'storytelling', and 'dest' instead of 'desk'. Furthermore, collocation is occasionally awkward, such as 'information desk is formed'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching the higher bands due to frequent slips in spelling and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing passive structures appropriately for describing map changes (e.g., 'were arranged', 'are replaced with', 'are converted into'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several missing articles and prepositions (e.g., 'Enquiry desk was located', 'into a computer and a cafe'), punctuation errors, and run-on structures without proper conjunctions or full stops (e.g., 'on the top Adult fiction books are placed'). Although these errors rarely impede communication entirely, they occur frequently enough to place the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

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

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