Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-13

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 given diagrams illustrate the floor plan of a public library. First picture shows how library used to look 20 years ago and second displays how is it today.

Overall, library contains lots of facilities and furnitures today. In comparison to its old version it has small change in structure and have a huge difference in facilities and organization of facilities.

The library today looks much more organized with advance features and it contains good number of facilities and furnitures. It has now a cafe in right side of entrance, a computer room opposite to the cafe. Self-service machines, adult fiction books and information desk has been placed between lecture room and cafe, which lies in the right side of library. The computer room, all reference books and room with sofa storytelling events and children's fiction books on the right side of the library. The important structural change is all the rooms are now in rectangular shape.

Whereas, the 20 year old library used to have 3 rectangular rooms and one enquiry. The center of library had tables and chairs, reading room was placed on the left side of entrance with newspapers and magzines and adult fiction books after that and CDs videos and computer games opposite to the entrance of reading room. The right side of entrance had enquiry desk that contained tickets, book returns etc. The adult non-fiction books after that and children's book on the top right corner of the room.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main purpose of the diagrams and make relevant comparisons between the earlier and current layouts, including the removal of the central tables, the addition of a café and computer room, and changes to the book areas. The overview also recognises that facilities and their organisation have changed. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: you place the storytelling/children’s fiction room on the “right side,” although it is at the top left, and describe the rooms as now all rectangular, despite the plan showing a curved boundary around the information area. The claim that there is a “small change in structure” is also not well supported by the substantial rearrangement. More precise coverage of the key relocations would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph about the current plan and a final paragraph about the former layout. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the comparison. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow. For example, the sentence beginning “The computer room, all reference books…” is incomplete and its reference to the “right side” conflicts with the preceding description. The final paragraph also moves between locations without consistently anchoring them to the entrance or the plan. Use clearer topic sentences and group details by side or by type of change; linking phrases such as “By contrast” and “Meanwhile” should clarify relationships rather than simply introduce another list.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a library plan, including “self-service machines,” “adult non-fiction books,” “enquiry desk” and “opposite.” These terms help communicate the main facilities and comparisons. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “furnitures,” “good number of facilities,” “small change in structure” and “advance features.” There are also spelling errors, including “magzines,” and repeated use of “facilities” and “books” limits variety. Choose more precise map-description language and check spelling and countability: for example, refer to “furniture” as an uncountable noun and describe the layout as having been “substantially reorganised.” This would make the account clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement and sentence construction. Examples include “First picture shows” (missing “the”), “library used to look” (missing an article), and “Self-service machines… has been placed” (plural subject with a singular verb). The sentence “The computer room, all reference books and room with sofa storytelling events…” is not a complete, well-formed sentence, while “it has small change… and have a huge difference” contains faulty verb patterns. Use complete sentences, check subject–verb agreement, and maintain consistent past and present forms when comparing the two plans. More accurate control of these patterns would improve readability.

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