Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-23
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 diagrams shows the differences between a public library 20 years ago and present.
It is clearly seen that there are alot of changes made to the present blueprint of the central library.
The old diagram used to have a reading room on the left of the entrance, which is now converted into a computer room. The enquiry dest on the right side of the entrance is now changed to a cafe in the present blueprint. Also, the chairs and tables have been removed from the center of the library in the latest diagram.
The adult fiction books area on the right from the center has also been renamed as all reference books. There has been alot of changes made to the latest blueprint of the library as children books room is also converted into lecture room and the arena is changed to children's fiction books, along with the addition of sofa's.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response covers several main features of the library's transformation, noting key changes such as the conversion of the reading room into a computer room and the relocation or modification of various facilities. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the spatial arrangement from the visual data. For instance, the student states that the enquiry desk on the right is changed to a cafe, whereas the cafe is located in the bottom-right and the enquiry desk was actually replaced by self-service machines and an information desk in the adult fiction area. Additionally, the overview is extremely brief and contains a grammatical error ("alot"). While a selection of features is presented, the lack of a fully developed overview and some misread details prevent the task achievement score from reaching higher bands.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is organized into brief paragraphs, starting with an introductory sentence, followed by an overview, and subsequent body paragraphs detailing specific changes. However, the progression lacks smooth transitional devices, resulting in a somewhat disjointed feel. Cohesive devices are minimal, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting between different sections of the library without establishing clear spatial relationships. Paragraphing is attempted, but the paragraphs are very short and underdeveloped. Overall organization meets the basic requirements of coherence, but the management of cohesion needs more flexibility and logical flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, featuring basic terms related to the floor plan such as "blueprint", "converted", "changed", and "removed". However, the range is limited and repetitive. There are several lexical and spelling errors, most notably "alot" (should be "a lot") and "dest" (instead of "desk"). Furthermore, the student uses informal or imprecise phrasing such as "the arena is changed" when describing room transformations. Attempts at less common vocabulary are sparse, and word choice inaccuracies prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses in "the reading room on the left of the entrance, which is now converted into a computer room." However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including subject-verb agreement issues in the opening sentence ("The diagrams shows") and incorrect punctuation with plural forms ("sofa's" instead of "sofas"). While the meaning remains mostly clear despite these errors, the frequent lapses in basic grammar and punctuation restrict the score to a mid-level band.
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