Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The provided diagram compares the floor plan of public library 20 years ago and how it looks now.
To start with, the central library today looks mordern and well planed than the 20 years ago. The left upper room had CDs, videos, computer games but today's library uses that room for storytelling events, room also has sofas and childrean's fiction books. The childrean's books is now replaced by lecture room.
Moreover, the inquiry desk is upgraded to information desk and behind it there is self service machines which were not in the older plan. The adult non-fiction books are now changed by fiction books. Today's library has a cafe which was not in older plan. The new library has a seprate computer room and in front of computer room there are refrence books .
To conclude, today's library has more features and it is well designed than the older plan. There are noticeable change in the library.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses the main features of the task by outlining several key changes between the library's floor plan twenty years ago and today, such as the conversion of the children's books room into a lecture room and the addition of a café. However, some ideas are under-developed or less fully covered, and a few details are slightly inaccurate according to the visual data, such as stating that adult non-fiction books are now changed by fiction books. The overview provided in the opening and concluding sentences is somewhat generic. To reach a higher band, the response would need to provide a more fully developed selection of features with greater precision and a clearer, more comprehensive overview of the main trends.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Information is generally presented in a logical sequence, moving systematically across different sections of the floor plan. Cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'Moreover', and 'To conclude' are used to structure the text, although referencing and transitions can occasionally feel mechanical. While paragraphing is attempted, the division of ideas could be handled more effectively. To achieve higher proficiency, the response would require more sophisticated and flexible cohesive devices, alongside smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs to ensure a seamless flow of information throughout.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate to communicate the main points of the task, employing functional terms like 'floor plan', 'enquiry desk', and 'computer room'. However, the range is limited, and there are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'mordern', 'planed', 'childrean's', 'seprate', and 'refrence'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, but these attempts are occasionally inaccurate or informally expressed. For a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate a wider and more flexible lexical range, utilise precise vocabulary relating to spatial changes without repetitive phrasing, and eliminate spelling and word-form errors that detract from the overall quality of the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The adult non-fiction books are now changed by fiction books' and 'The new library has a seprate computer room and in front of computer room there are refrence books'. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('the library', 'a café'), preposition usage ('in the older plan'), and subject-verb agreement. These errors sometimes cause slight difficulty for the reader. To improve, the writer needs to increase control over complex sentence structures, ensure consistent accuracy in grammatical patterns, and pay closer attention to articles, plurals, and prepositions to reduce the frequency of errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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