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 of central library 20 years ago was very different as compared to today's map. If you would visit thei 20 years earier,when you enter In central library, at the very right, there was an enquiry desk. You could take ticket, return book or discuss anything at this desk. In the centtre of the library, therewais stitting area consisting of tables and chairs. On the right of sitting area, there were adult non-fictional books.If you needed adult fictional books, you would head towards left side of sitting area.
If you moved ahead of fictional books, on the left corner of library, there was Playstation area which contained CDs, videos and computer games. On the opposite side of playstation, which is right corner of library, there were children's books.
For reading room, which contained newspaper and magazines, you would take a left from the entrance.
Today's map of central library is totally different. Cafe has replaced enquiry desk at the right of the entrance. And at the left of entrance there is computer room replaced by reading room. Right next to computer room is All reference books, followed by childen's fiction books and story telling events. There are sofas for sitting there as well on the opposite coorners of this room. On the opposite side, there is lecture room instead of 20 years before children's book.Beside this room, there is adult fictional books and right in the middle is information desk. There are self-service machines right next to them as well which were not available 20 years ago
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 main features of the library maps from 20 years ago and today, satisfying the minimum length requirement. However, the response falls short of higher bands due to an overly narrative, conversational tone (e.g., 'If you would visit thei 20 years earier, when you enter In central library...') rather than an objective academic summary. While several key transformations are captured—such as the café replacing the enquiry desk and the addition of self-service machines—the overview is missing, and the description lacks a well-organized presentation of spatial changes. Some locations are slightly confused or described too informally, preventing a fully developed presentation of the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is divided into paragraphs separating the past layout, the present layout, and specific features, giving an overall sense of arrangement. However, logical progression is hindered by inconsistent paragraphing and colloquial transitional phrases like 'If you moved ahead' or 'Today's map of central library is totally different.' Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes repetitive. Furthermore, referencing can be unclear, relying heavily on pronouns and directional phrasing that makes it difficult for the reader to track spatial relationships smoothly. Paragraphing is present but used rather mechanically.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, frequently relying on everyday terms like 'map', 'right', 'left', 'room', and 'big' implied through simple descriptions. There are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'thei' instead of 'the', 'earier' instead of 'earlier', 'centtre', 'therewais', 'stitting', 'coorners', and 'fictional' instead of 'fiction'. Less common vocabulary is largely absent, and inaccurate collocations prevent the score from reaching a higher band. While meaning is generally conveyed, lexical limitations and frequent spelling lapses restrict the response to Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, often utilizing conditional clauses (e.g., 'If you would visit...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors including tense inconsistencies, missing articles ('in central library'), punctuation lapses, and run-on sentences. For instance, 'You could take ticket, return book or discuss anything at this desk' lacks necessary pluralization and articles. Errors occur across many sentences and occasionally cause friction for the reader, though they do not completely obscure the overall meaning.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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