Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The diagram illustrates a public library floor planning 20 years ago compared to how it looks now.

Overall, in a time span of 20 years, there were some changes made to the central library sides and rooms, for instance you can notice that there were tables and chairs in front of the entrance then as opposed to now.

To begin with, in the top side of the library illustration, it shows in the top left room, it had CDs, videos and computer games, while the top right, childern's books with adult fiction books in the bottom of them. meanwhile today, they got turned into storytelling events with sofas in the upper left and the lower right and in the bottom a children's fiction books with tables and chairs in the middle. In the lower part you find all refrence books on the left, adult fiction book, information desk and self service machines today.

However, In the lower part near the entrance, it had a reading room which included newspapers and magazines in the left, equiry desk which had tickets, books returns, etc. Today they became a computer room on the western side, a cafe on the eastern side and no tables and chairs in front of the entrance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response partially addresses the task by attempting to outline the main changes between the two floor plans of the central library. While an overview is provided at the beginning, it is somewhat vague and limited. Some key features are mentioned, such as the addition of the computer room and café, and the removal of the central tables and chairs. However, the selection of information is inconsistent and lacks clarity. Several details are under-developed or inaccurately described, such as the spatial references and the conversion of rooms, which makes it difficult to fully grasp the transformation without looking at the original diagram. To reach a higher level, the response needs to present a clearer, more fully developed overview of the main trends and select and report key spatial changes with greater precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates some organisation with an introductory sentence and paragraph breaks, but there is a lack of clear overall progression. The movement between different sections of the maps feels disjointed, and the relationships between ideas are not always transparent. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or are sometimes inaccurate, such as repetitive transitions like 'to begin with' and 'however', which do not always logically connect the contrasting details. Additionally, referencing and pronoun use are occasionally confusing, making the spatial tracking of the library's layout hard to follow. Improving this criterion requires a more logical sequencing of information, smoother transitions between paragraphs, and more precise referencing to guide the reader through the diagram effectively.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer relies heavily on basic, repetitive terms and direct descriptions from the prompt, such as 'library floor planning', 'rooms', 'tables and chairs', and 'entrance'. There are noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'floor planning' instead of 'floor plan' and awkward constructions like 'they got turned into'. While these lexical shortcomings do not completely impede communication, they restrict the precision and flexibility of the response. To improve, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of vocabulary related to architectural changes, spatial descriptions, and transformations, while ensuring greater accuracy in collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside some attempts at complex forms that are often faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with prepositions, articles, and tense consistency. For instance, phrases like 'in the top side' and 'in the bottom of them' demonstrate weak control over prepositional usage, and sentence boundaries are sometimes blurred by run-on structures. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and distract from the clarity of the comparisons. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to demonstrate a greater variety of complex sentence structures with improved accuracy, particularly regarding verb forms, prepositions, and punctuation.

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

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