Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-02

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 diagram gives us the information about how the decoration is changed of the floor plan of a public library between timetable of 20 years ago and at the present time.

At a overview, it can be said that, there is a big change in the center of the library because chairs and tables are totally removed off from here for making some free space.But the rooms are located at the same place as before, only the components are replaced with new things.

At the west-north corner, where the room was used as some entertainment purpuses but recently that is used as a sitting place with also some children books and events. And the reading room which was located at the south-west corner that is replaced with computer. At the middle of these two corners all references books are placed off by replacing adult fiction books.

At the north-east corner, lecture room is situated previously which was used as the children's book room. And the enquiry desk is replaced with cafe this is the scenario of the south-east corner also the shape of these room is little bit changed. By the way, at the middle of these corner adult fiction books is added rather than the non-fiction books also some machines and information desk is added here. And the entrance is at the same place as previous.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task partially. While the student attempts to present an overview and cover the changes between the two floor plans, the information presented is at times confused and inaccurate. For instance, the text claims that the lecture room was situated previously at the north-east corner which was used as the children's book room, whereas the source plan shows children's books were originally in the top right. Ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed, and the overview provided in the second paragraph ('At a overview, it can be said that...') is rather basic and mechanical. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to select and report the main features more accurately and clearly outline the overarching transformations without factual confusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response shows some organization with basic paragraphing, but there is a lack of clear overall progression. The movement across different parts of the library can feel disjointed and difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used repetitively or inaccurately, such as starting multiple sentences with 'At the...' or using transitional phrases like 'By the way,' which is inappropriate for an academic essay. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, making it hard for the reader to track spatial relationships. To improve, the writer should employ a wider and more natural range of cohesive devices and ensure a logical, smooth progression from one section of the map to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic concepts related to the floor plan. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'entertainment purposes' and 'components', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice and expression, such as 'decoration is changed' instead of 'layout has changed' or 'placed off by replacing'. There are also awkward phrasings like 'sitting place' instead of 'seating area'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but frequent lexical inaccuracies and unnatural collocations cause some difficulty for the reader. A higher band would require a broader, more precise range of vocabulary suited to describing spatial changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer uses a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic complex forms that are often faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with passive voice and prepositions, such as 'removed off from here' and 'is changed of the floor plan'. Article usage and subject-verb agreement also present persistent problems, as seen in phrases like 'the shape of these room is little bit changed'. These errors can cause confusion for the reader. To progress, the student must demonstrate better control over complex sentence patterns and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical mistakes.

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.