Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pictures illustrate the changes that have been introduced to a public library known as central library in 20 years.

Major changes have been made to the library expanding a room in the left corner at end of library. Moreover, a cafe and self service machines have been installed.

20 years ago, on the right to the entrance was an enquiry desk where tickets, book returns and so on took place. This desk is now replaced by the cafe. Next to cafe are newly installed self-service machines facing information desk and adult fiction books. All these things replaced adult non-fiction books section. Opposite to this section was adult fiction books section where now all the reference books are placed.

On the left to the entrance is the computer room which is replacement to the reading room. In the centre of the library there were two big tables with chairs around them which now have been removed leaving the hallway clear. On the end, in the left corner a room where CDs, videos and computer games were available is now turned into a bigger room where storytelling events take place. It has sofas and children books leaving place for lecture room in the other corner where they were placed previously.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all major changes shown in the floor plans of the central library, presenting an overall clear picture of how the layout has been transformed over the 20-year period. You manage to report most of the key features, such as the addition of the café, the removal of the tables and chairs from the central hallway, and the relocation of specific sections like the computer room and the children's area. However, some parts of your description are slightly underdeveloped or less precise compared to a higher band response; for instance, the specific placement of some newly introduced areas and the exact shift of book sections could be explained with greater clarity and precision. Despite these minor limitations, the main trends and features are adequately selected, giving the reader a coherent overview of the transformations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

Your essay has a coherent overall arrangement, and you attempt to guide the reader through the floor plans by using directional markers such as '20 years ago', 'on the right to the entrance', and 'on the left to the entrance'. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, general overview, and detailed spatial descriptions. Nevertheless, cohesion is at times mechanical or slightly faulty, and referencing can become a little unclear when describing complex spatial relationships, such as in the third paragraph where multiple changes are grouped together. To move towards a higher band, you need to ensure that cohesive devices are used more flexibly and that transitions between different areas of the library flow more naturally without confusing the reader about which section is being referred to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, successfully employing topic-specific terms like 'enquiry desk', 'self-service machines', 'reference books', and 'storytelling events'. There are also successful attempts to use less common vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'installation', 'replacement', and 'expansion'. However, there are some noticeable vocabulary and collocation errors that prevent a higher score, such as writing 'on the right to the entrance' instead of 'to the right of the entrance', and 'expanding a room in the left corner at end of library'. Additionally, word choice is occasionally imprecise, which requires the reader to decode your meaning slightly, reflecting a standard typical of this band level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating your ability to construct compound and complex ideas, such as 'On the left to the entrance is the computer room which is replacement to the reading room.' You show control over past and present tenses, which are appropriately utilised to contrast the past layout with the current one. However, there are some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, particularly with prepositions and articles (e.g., 'known as central library', 'replacement to the reading room', 'at end of library', and missing articles before 'cafe' and 'information desk'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable, although they rarely impede communication, placing your grammatical control firmly within the expected range.

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

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