Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The map illustrates the changes to public library from 20 years ago to the present.
Overall, there were significant changes in building setup and the infrastructure of the Central library over the period.
In the past, CDs, videos, computer games were replaced with the storytelling events and children's fiction books that were relocated to the northeast corner of the library. Children's books were replaced from lecture room that were northwest corner of the library. The tables and chairs were eliminated that are centre to the library and front of the entrance, and adult non-fiction books were replaced with the information desk.
Similarly, the reading books were replaced to the computer room that were northeast corner of the library. Moreover, the Enquiry desk was replaced to the cafe that were southwest corner of the library, and adult fiction books were replaced to All reference books.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarise the main features of the library map, comparing the layout from 20 years ago to the present day. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the spatial changes. For instance, the student states that CDs, videos, and computer games were replaced with storytelling events, whereas the map shows children's fiction and storytelling events occupying that space today. Furthermore, the word count requirement of at least 150 words is not met, as the response contains only 144 words. This under-length impacts the overall completeness of the task, leading to a penalty under Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has an overall structure, beginning with an introduction and attempting to group changes across the body of the text. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, and the text consists of only two overly dense paragraphs. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes awkward, such as the repeated use of 'were replaced with' and 'were replaced to'. Referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial progression of the transformations. Progression is hindered by the disorganized presentation of details.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive. The student relies heavily on simple functional terms like 'changes', 'map', 'replaced', and 'corner'. There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and unnatural collocations, such as 'building setup and the infrastructure' and 'the reading books were replaced to the computer room'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task, resulting in a Band 5 performance for this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many sentences contain grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Examples include 'were replaced from lecture room that were northwest corner' and 'the Enquiry desk was replaced to the cafe that were southwest corner'. Prepositional errors and relative clause misusages are frequent, which can cause occasional difficulty for the reader, though the core meaning is generally retrievable.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.