Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-06

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 two maps compare floor plan of residential library as it was 20 years ago and how it appears today.

Overall, the floor plan objects has undergone considerable change over the period, with all objects in the room being arranged and added some new. Tables and chairs are removed from the entrance, however the map is has remained unchanged.

before 20 years, two rooms on the tops objects are changed before it was using for entertainment like computer games, CDs and videos. But now it is using for the Storytelling events and also added the fiction books for children's. The room which has the boos for children now changed to lecture room.

Two rooms on the bottom are also now having different jobs from before it was Reading newspapers and magazines are now having the Computers. Although the major update is Adding a Self-service machine and information disk. But the entrance room is same as it was.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the former media room with a children’s fiction/storytelling room, the conversion of the reading room into a computer room, and the addition of self-service machines and an information desk. However, the overview is unclear and includes an inaccurate claim: the entrance itself has not changed, but the plan has changed substantially, and the tables and chairs were in the central area rather than at the entrance. Some key changes are omitted or confused, such as the former children’s-books room becoming a lecture room and the café replacing the enquiry-desk area. To strengthen the response, give a precise overview and compare the main areas systematically, using the correct locations and functions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an overview to changes in the upper and lower parts of the plan. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is often difficult to follow: for example, “Two rooms on the tops objects are changed” does not clearly identify which rooms or how they relate to one another. The final paragraph combines the lower-room changes with the information desk and entrance without clear links. Connectors such as “But” and “Although” are used, but the relationships they signal are sometimes inaccurate or incomplete. Organise the comparison by matching each former area with its present use, and use clear location references to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a library plan, including “floor plan,” “entrance,” “reading newspapers and magazines,” and “self-service machine.” This shows an attempt to use task-specific language. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or forms make the description unclear, such as “residential library,” “the tops objects,” “information disk,” and “the room which has the boos for children.” Repetition of general words such as “room,” “changed,” and “now” also limits precision. Choose accurate labels from the plan and use verbs such as “was converted into,” “was replaced by,” and “was relocated” to describe changes more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “Although,” and the reader can understand some of the main comparisons. However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships difficult to interpret. Examples include “the floor plan objects has undergone,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect, and “the map is has remained unchanged,” which contains an unnecessary verb. Tense and sentence construction are also problematic in “before it was using for entertainment” and “now it is using for the Storytelling events.” Use the past simple for the earlier plan and the present simple for the current one, and check articles, agreement, and complete sentence structure.

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

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