Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-01

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 display the maps of a public library from 20 years ago and how it looks like in the present.

Several changes have been made to the central library in recent 20 years. One noticeable change is expanded room for storytelling events.

In the centre of the library were tables and chairs 20 years ago, facing the entrance. On right to the entrance was enqiry desk where services like book returns, tickets were offered. Opposite to this desk was a room equipped with children's books. In the centre was a setion where adult non-fiction books were available. On the left side to the entrance was a reading room with magazines and newspapers and faced computer games room. This room had CDs and videos. In centre of both these rooms adult fiction books were placed.

Now the computer games room has expanded and this is the room where storytelling events take place. It is also equipped with children's books and has sofas too. On left to this room is the lecture room with adult fiction books right next to it. On right to entrance is a cafe with self service mavhines adjacent to it and it faces the computer room next to this room are all reference books.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting an overview of the changes in the library but omitting or misrepresenting several key features. For instance, the description of the layout 20 years ago contains inaccuracies regarding the locations of rooms and furniture, such as placing adult fiction books in the centre when the plan shows them in the middle-left. Furthermore, the selection of details in the body paragraphs is incomplete and lacks a fully developed overview, as the second paragraph attempts an overview ('Several changes have been made...') but is overly brief. To move to a higher band, you need to provide a clearer and more complete summary of all the main spatial changes and features visible in both diagrams without missing major zones like the new lecture room or reference section.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation in the response, moving from an introduction to body paragraphs comparing past and present layouts, but overall progression is limited. The use of cohesive devices is frequently mechanical or inaccurate (e.g., 'On right to the entrance', 'Opposite to this desk'), and referencing between sentences is occasionally unclear, making it hard to follow the spatial relationships. Paragraphing is attempted, but the paragraphs themselves are poorly structured and dense. To improve coherence and cohesion, you should use a wider variety of accurate locational markers, ensure logical sequencing of details from one area to another, and organise your descriptions into clear, distinct thematic paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, with noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and collocation that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'enqiry desk', 'setion', 'mavhines', and repetitive phrasing like 'this is the room where' and 'next to this room'. While you attempt some less common library-related terms, inaccuracies in spelling ('mavhines') and prepositional collocations ('On right to', 'On left to') restrict your score. To achieve a higher band, you should expand your range of vocabulary to describe architectural and spatial transformations more precisely, using accurate collocations and correct spelling throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your grammar displays a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic past and present tense forms. When you attempt more complex structures, they are often faulty or awkward, such as missing articles ('expanded room', 'on right to entrance') and incorrect prepositions. Frequent errors in sentence architecture and grammatical patterns cause some difficulty for the reader. To lift your grammatical score, you need to incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex sentence forms, pay closer attention to articles and prepositions in spatial descriptions, and ensure better control over subject-verb agreement.

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

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