Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-21

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 diagram displays how the floor plan of public library looks in present compared to how it looked 20 years.

Overall, the library has completely redesigned its structure. A cafe and self-service machines have been added to the library while the tables and chairs have been removed. Additionally, the adult non-fiction books have been removed.

In the past, the library had tables and chairs located in the center of the room. The enquiry desk was located in the southeast corner on the right side of the entrance. There was a reading room on the left of the entrance. Furthermore, there was a room for children's books which was on the northeast top corner of the library while the room for cds, videos and computer games were located in front of the reading room. In between the computer room and reading room, on the west the adult fiction books were kept whereas the adult non-fiction books were kept in the east part of the library between the children's books room and enquiry desk.

In present, the library has been revamped massively. As the enquiry desk on the southeast corner has been replaced with a cafe. Furthermore, the reading room which was on the left of the entrance has been replaced with computer room while the children's books room has been changed into a lecture room. The children's books room has been shifted to the northeast corner of the library opposite to the computer room and the area has been expanded and multiple sofas have been added. The all reference books are available between the computer room and children's fiction books room on the west part of the library. The self-service machines are kept opposite to the lecture room while adult fiction books are kept near the entrance of the lecture room. There is an information desk on the east of the library between the adult fiction books and self-service machines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You give a clear overview of the major changes, including the removal of the central tables and chairs, the addition of a café and self-service machines, and the replacement of the former non-fiction area. The body also compares several corresponding spaces, such as the old reading room and the new computer room. Most locations are reported accurately. However, some details are imprecise: the children’s fiction area is in the top-left, not the northeast, and it is not described as having been shifted there from the old children’s-books room, which was top-right. The claim that the adult non-fiction books were “removed” could also be more precise: the former area is now used for adult fiction and related facilities. Overall, the main features are covered and supported, though a few comparisons are over-generalised or unclear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the former and current layouts, giving the reader a clear overall route through the comparison. Time markers such as “In the past” and “In present” help distinguish the plans, and “Furthermore” and “while” connect related details. This coherent structure is a strength. Some linking is less effective, however: “As the enquiry desk … has been replaced with a cafe” is a sentence fragment, and the final paragraph repeats “Furthermore” rather than varying its connections. The long description of the old layout also packs many locations into one paragraph, making some relationships harder to follow. Grouping changes by corresponding areas and using clearer references would make cohesion more flexible and precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing a library plan, including “located,” “replaced,” “expanded,” and “self-service machines.” These choices communicate the main changes, and “revamped” shows an attempt to use more varied language. Some wording is imprecise or repetitive, though: “kept” is used several times for books and machines, while “shifted” suggests the children’s area was physically moved rather than a different room being assigned that function. “Completely redesigned its structure” is also broader than the specific changes shown. There are spelling and form issues in “cafe” and “cds,” and “In present” is not a natural expression. More exact location and change vocabulary would improve precision and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple statements and longer sentences with subordinate clauses, for example, “Furthermore, there was a room for children’s books which was…” and “The children’s books room has been changed into a lecture room.” Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening omits an article and a preposition (“how the floor plan of public library looks in present compared to how it looked 20 years”), and “In present” is also an incorrect time phrase. The sentence beginning “As the enquiry desk…” is incomplete because it lacks a main clause. There are also agreement and article problems in “the room for cds, videos and computer games were located.” Check sentence completeness, articles, and subject–verb agreement, especially in longer descriptions.

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