Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-18

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 4.0)

The diagram illustrates the flat plan of a community library 20 years ago and how it looks today.

Overall, the diagram was completely different in the past compared with today. The plan is full of categories in the central library today compared with the past.

In the past, the central library looked different because a lot of people considered that there were many facilities for people, such as CDs, video computer games, and children's book for children's activities. And also

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The opening identifies the subject as a library plan and notes a comparison between the past and today, but the response does not provide a usable overview of the main changes. It mentions some past facilities, such as CDs and children’s books, yet gives no accurate account of how the layout changed and does not describe the present-day features. The claim that the plan was “completely different” is too general to substitute for specific comparisons. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words: it contains 72 words, with 8 words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. To improve, summarise the major changes and report several clear, accurate details from both plans.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt at organisation: an introductory sentence is followed by an overall statement and then a paragraph beginning “In the past”. However, the response stops mid-thought at “And also”, so there is no completed progression through the information or comparison with the current plan. The linking phrase “Overall” signals an overview, but the statement that the plan is “completely different” is not developed with supporting details. The unfinished paragraph and large gaps also make the text feel incomplete. Use a clear sequence—introduction, overview, then grouped details comparing the two layouts—and connect each point with simple, accurate transitions such as “whereas” and “by contrast”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the general topic, with phrases such as “flat plan”, “community library”, “facilities” and “central library”. However, the range is limited, and some choices are imprecise for describing a floor plan. “The plan is full of categories” does not clearly explain what is arranged in the library, while “a lot of people considered” is not an appropriate way to introduce features shown in a diagram. The phrase “CDs, video computer games” also does not reproduce the labels clearly. Aim for precise terms for locations and changes, such as “section”, “room”, “was replaced by” and “was converted into”, and use the diagram’s labels accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes some controlled simple sentences, including “The diagram illustrates…” and “Overall, the diagram was completely different…”. It also attempts a longer sentence with “because” and “such as”, but this construction becomes difficult to follow: “a lot of people considered that there were many facilities…” does not express the intended description clearly. The final “And also” is an incomplete sentence, and the fragment after “such as” is not developed into a complete, well-formed list. The range is therefore narrow, with limited evidence of accurate complex sentence control. Practise complete sentences that directly describe locations and changes, and check that each sentence has a clear subject and finished main clause.

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