Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-30
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 shows the floor plan of public library now and 20 years ago what it looks like before and after.
It clearly shows that there are a lot of changes during this 20 years period. However, the entrance is at same place. If we see old library chart, the enquiry dest was just at the right side of the entrance, and the left side of the entrance was a reading room where newspapers and magazines are placed. While on the other hand, at the top bottom of the chart, placed children's books and at left corner, CDs, videos and computer games are placed. One thing that looked clearly that in the middle of the library, there are tables and chairs.
Now come to today's library chart. Entrance was same, however other things are changed. There is a cafe in right side of the entrance and computer lab at the left. They shift information dest in halway at right side just upside the cafe. There is also all reference books in the left side at halway in front of the information desk. In addition, there is also a lacture room and at children's fiction books area also storytelling events.
In conclusion, there was huge changes in todays library and the old library.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to describe the changes shown in the two maps of the central library over a 20-year period. While several key transformations are captured—such as the addition of a café, a computer room, and a lecture room—the response lacks a clear, overarching overview of the main trends. The reporting of spatial details is at times disjointed and imprecise, for instance stating that the entrance is 'at same place' without fully integrating the surrounding layout changes. Furthermore, some descriptions of specific locations are unclear, such as 'at the top bottom of the chart'. The selection of features is partially adequate, but the lack of a structured summary and some misreadings of positions keep this response at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organised into rudimentary paragraphs, including an introduction, body paragraphs for the past and present layouts, and a brief conclusion. However, progression is disrupted by awkward transitional phrases like 'Now come to today's library chart' and 'If we see old library chart'. Cohesive devices are used rather mechanically and repetitively, and referencing is sometimes ambiguous (e.g., 'They shift information dest in halway'). Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical flow within paragraphs is weak. Overall, the structure shows basic organisation but fails to maintain clear cohesion throughout, aligning with a Band 5.0 descriptor.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple verbs like 'placed', 'show', and 'is'. There are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'enquiry dest' instead of 'desk', 'halway' instead of 'hallway', 'lacture' instead of 'lecture', and 'todays' instead of 'today's'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for conveying the basic visual data, but these recurring lexical errors and lack of sophisticated phrasing restrict the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic present/past tense constructions. When attempting more complex formulations, frequent errors occur, such as omission of articles ('at same place', 'in right side'), incorrect prepositions ('at the left side of the entrance'), and tense inconsistencies ('there was huge changes'). Punctuation and sentence boundaries are occasionally problematic. These persistent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a typical Band 5.0 grammatical profile.
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