Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-22

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 diagram illustrate the map of public library after several developments in 20 years and showing differences how it look now

Overall, there several changes in library from last 20 years and most significant development was in adult fiction area by combine information desk area,adding self service machine in it . Building cafe and replacing reading room with computer room was the second noteable change in library throughout the period.

In general,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify a few relevant changes, including the adult-fiction area, self-service machines, a café and the replacement of the reading room with a computer room. However, the response addresses the plan only minimally: it gives no clear account of most other major changes, such as the new lecture room, children’s fiction and storytelling area, or the relocation of reference books. The overview is also incomplete, and the final phrase “In general,” is left unfinished. The response contains 72 words, below the required 150, so there is not enough detail to summarise and compare the two layouts adequately. To improve, describe the main changes systematically and support the overview with accurate locations and comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview of changes, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In general” signal summary. The ideas that are included are broadly related to the task. However, the progression is weak because the response stops after an unfinished “In general,” and does not develop the changes into a clear sequence or comparison of the two plans. The overview sentence also combines several points in a crowded way, making the relationship between them less clear. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main details, then group changes by area or by what was added, removed or relocated. Avoid introducing a transition unless you complete the point that follows it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “adult fiction area,” “information desk,” “self service machine,” “cafe,” and “reading room.” These terms show an attempt to describe the library plan, and the main intended meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited, with repeated reliance on general words such as “changes” and “development.” Several choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, including “combine information desk area,” “second noteable change,” and “throughout the period.” Spelling and word formation also need attention: “noteable” should be “notable,” and “machine” should be plural when referring to the machines shown. Build a wider set of precise map-description phrases, such as “was converted into,” “was relocated to,” and “was replaced by.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a longer overview sentence, but grammatical control is uneven and the range of sentence structures is limited. For example, “The diagram illustrate” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “there several changes” is missing the verb “are.” The opening phrase “after several developments in 20 years” is also not formed as a complete, clear comparison. In “by combine information desk area,adding,” the verb form and punctuation make the relationship between ideas difficult to follow. The final “In general,” is a fragment. These errors sometimes obscure meaning, although the reader can infer the main points. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then connect them with controlled clauses; check agreement, articles, verb forms and sentence boundaries.

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