Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-26

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 map illustrates the changes in public library from 20 years ago to the present.

Overall, there were clear replaced in building setup and the infrastructure of the Central library over the period.

The past, CDs, videos, computer games were East North corner changed with the storytelling events and children's fiction books. Children's books were replaced from lecture room that were North West corner of the library. The tables and chair were eliminated that are centre to the library and front of the entrance, and adult non fiction books was replaced with the information desk.

Similarly, the reading books were altered to the computer room that were East North corner of the library. Moreover, the Enquiry desk was replaced to the cafe that were West south corner of the library, and adult fiction books were replaced to All reference books.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 140 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the student attempts to report some changes between the two maps, the overview is extremely basic and lacks clarity. Furthermore, the spatial referencing is frequently confused and inaccurate; for instance, the student states that CDs and videos were in the 'East North corner' and changed to storytelling events, whereas the source plan shows them in the top-left (north-west) area. Several other transformations are misreported or difficult to follow, showing a partial and sometimes inaccurate understanding of the visual data. To improve, the student must ensure the word count exceeds 150 words and practice describing spatial layouts and transformations more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The essay lacks clear paragraphing, consisting only of a short introduction and two dense body paragraphs that fail to group information logically. Cohesive devices are minimal, awkward, or inaccurate, such as using 'The past,' at the start of a sentence instead of appropriate chronological markers like 'Twenty years ago'. The progression of ideas is difficult to follow because referencing is frequently confused (e.g., 'that were North West corner'). There is an overall lack of organizational structure, making it hard for the reader to trace the comparison between the past and present library layouts. Improving paragraph structure and using a wider, more accurate range of linking words would significantly enhance cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, relying heavily on direct lifts from the prompt such as 'public library', 'storytelling events', 'children's fiction books', and 'information desk'. There are numerous lexical and collocation errors, such as 'clear replaced' instead of replacements, and directional errors like 'East North corner' instead of north-east. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are largely unsuccessful or unidiomatic. While basic terms are generally understood, the limited range and frequent word-choice errors restrict the score to a band 5.0. To achieve a higher band, the student should incorporate a wider variety of synonyms and learn correct geographical and directional collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response features a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple or awkwardly constructed sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors, including tense confusion, missing articles, and faulty passive constructions, such as 'the tables and chair were eliminated that are centre to the library' and 'the Enquiry desk was replaced to the cafe'. Subject-verb agreement issues and incorrect prepositions also appear throughout the text, for instance, 'were replaced to' instead of 'were replaced by'. Although some simple sentences are intelligible, the high frequency of grammatical inaccuracies impedes smooth reading and prevents the text from reaching a higher band score.

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

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