Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-16

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 6.5)

The floor plans illustrate how the layout of the public Central Library has changed over the past 20 years, comparing its current design with that of two decades ago.

The overall layout has remained unchanged; although, individual areas have been repurposed. The cafe along with self serving machines are newer additions, reading rooms devoted to newspapers and magaxines has been discontinued. A new section for reference books has been introduced.

Previously, the entrance led to a row of table and chairs, discontinued in the current day layout. Instead sofas are now available in the room designated for children's fiction books; the room previoulsy harbored CDs, videos and computer games. In the current day, the room is also used to host story telling events. The space that was previously dedicated for children's books is now repurposed as the lecture room. On exiting the lecture room, one can find the adult fiction books section; previoulsy located on the opposite end of the library (now meant for reference books).

The area allocted for enquiry desk has been reduced considerably, it was previously located in a room close to entrance. Now, this area has been converted into a cafe. On exiting the cafe, one can find several self-service machines have been lined along the newly added information desk. The reading room meant for magazines and newspapers on the left-hand side from the entrance, is now used as a computer room.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear overview that the library’s overall layout remains similar while several spaces have been repurposed, and it reports many key changes accurately: the former children’s-books room becomes a lecture room, the reading room becomes a computer room, and the old enquiry-desk area is now a café. It also identifies the new reference-book area and self-service machines. This covers the main features and supports the comparisons with relevant detail. However, the claim that the enquiry area has been “reduced considerably” is not clearly supported by the plan, and the description of the adult-fiction area as being “on the opposite end” is imprecise. More exact spatial comparisons would make the account more consistently precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, with a generally understandable progression from the entrance and upper rooms to the side areas. Linking expressions such as “Previously,” “Instead” and “On exiting” help guide the reader through the changes. This coherent overall arrangement is a strength. However, some transitions make the spatial relationships harder to follow: “On exiting the lecture room” does not clearly explain the location of the adult-fiction section, and the final paragraph moves between the former enquiry desk, café, machines and computer room without a consistent route or grouping. The semicolon in the overview also creates an awkward connection. Grouping changes by side or by former and current use, and using clearer references, would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a floor plan, including “repurposed,” “designated,” “discontinued” and “self-service machines.” These choices allow the writer to communicate most changes clearly, and some less common terms are attempted. However, several collocations or word forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “room … harbored” for a library space, “area allocted,” and “lined along” the desk. Spelling errors in “magaxines,” “previoulsy” and “allocted” also reduce accuracy. “Self serving machines” is less precise than the plan’s label. Use standard map-description phrasing such as “was converted into,” “was located beside,” and “the area allocated to,” and proofread spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including the contrast in “The overall layout has remained unchanged; although, individual areas have been repurposed” and the relative clause “the room designated for children’s fiction books.” Most relationships remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions persist. The semicolon before “although” is not appropriate, and “reading rooms … has been discontinued” has a subject–verb agreement problem. In “On exiting the cafe, one can find several self-service machines have been lined,” the clause structure is incomplete or awkward; for example, “several machines have been installed beside the information desk” is clearer. There are also tense and article inconsistencies in descriptions of past and present locations. More reliable agreement and sentence boundaries would improve control.

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