Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-04

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 4.5)

The rendered diagrams illustrate the changes in the floor plan of a public library between the period of twenty years and later.

Overall, there are number of developmets taken place, where major are cafe, computer room and story telling events in the central library.

To begin with twenty years ago, the entrance was on the east side of the library and couple of tables and chairs were situated straight to the entance. Meanwhile, in the north west side, there was a space for computer games along with it adult fiction books were kept. opposite to this, it was a room for children books and adults non fiction books. on the bottom of the plan a reading room on the left and enquiry desk were situated.

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AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, finishing at only 126 words, and it cuts off abruptly mid-sentence with a stray capital letter. Furthermore, the content fails to fully address the task. The description of the library 20 years ago contains several factual errors regarding spatial arrangement, such as stating the entrance was on the east side rather than the bottom center, and it entirely fails to describe how the library looks now, which is a core component of the prompt. Ideas are therefore minimal, under-developed, and inaccurate, preventing any clear overview or successful comparison between the two floor plans.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response with introductory and body paragraphs, and some transitional expressions like 'To begin with' are used. However, the overall progression is severely disrupted by the abrupt end of the text. Paragraphing is disjointed, and referencing between sentences is sometimes faulty, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial locations on the map. Cohesive devices are used mechanically rather than logically to guide the reader smoothly through the comparison of the two distinct time periods.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, though it is minimally adequate to convey basic concepts related to a library floor plan. There are several noticeable lexical errors, such as spelling 'developmets' and 'entance', and awkward phrasing like 'major are cafe'. While the writer attempts some topic-specific vocabulary ('fiction books', 'reading room', 'enquiry desk'), inaccuracies in word choice and spelling flaws occur throughout, meaning the lexical range remains basic and restricts communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response shows a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences with frequent structural faults when attempting more complex patterns. There are multiple grammar errors, including missing articles ('were situated straight to the entance', 'it was a room for children books'), incorrect prepositions ('on the bottom of the plan'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('there are number of'). These frequent errors, combined with punctuation slips and an incomplete final sentence, cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and restrict the control of grammar.

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

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