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)

This given diagrams illustrate the site of the floor of a public library 20 years ago and then how it looks now.

Overall, there are some changes i.e. the addition of some sofa's, tables and chairs removes in now site. Some book arrangements are also changed and some areas are converted into books.

The first diagram had entrance and there were enquiry desk (tickets, book returns, etc). Reading room were on the left side of entrance which contains newspapers and magazines. Beyond this, there was an area of tables and chairs with some adult non-fiction books.There were CDs, videos and computer games on left and children books on right side of the plan.

On contrary, it contains reference books and information desk or adult fictional books. There are a cafe on the right side of entrance and computer room on left side. Lecture room is in the upright of plan, and sofa, storytelling events with children fiction books are on the upleft of plan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two plans as a before-and-after comparison and include several relevant features, such as the former reading room and enquiry desk and the current café, computer room and lecture room. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: it says sofas were added while tables and chairs were removed, although the current plan shows sofas in the children’s area and no central tables. The main changes are not clearly summarised, and some locations are misreported or vague—for example, the old reading room is described as being on the left of the entrance, and the current rooms are placed only as “upright” and “upleft.” The response therefore covers the task only partially. Give a precise overview and compare the major changes systematically.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression from an introduction and overview to the earlier plan and then the current one. This gives the reader some sense of the comparison, and phrases such as “The first diagram” and “On contrary” attempt to signal the shift between plans. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the overview mixes changes together, and the final paragraph lists current features without a clear order or explicit comparison with their former uses. Some linking is inaccurate or awkward, and references such as “this” and “it” do not always make the intended plan or area clear. Organise the body by corresponding areas or by major changes, and use straightforward transitions such as “In contrast” and “Meanwhile” to make relationships explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant plan vocabulary, including “entrance,” “enquiry desk,” “reference books,” “computer room” and “storytelling events,” so the reader can identify many of the facilities. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, sometimes making the description less clear. For example, “the site of the floor” is not a natural way to describe a plan, “some areas are converted into books” does not express the change accurately, and “adult fictional books” is less suitable than “adult fiction books.” “Sofa’s” also uses an incorrect apostrophe for the plural. Build a more precise set of terms for describing locations and changes, and check collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, including “There are some changes” and a sentence describing the former reading room and its contents. However, grammatical errors are frequent, and some sentences are difficult to interpret. Examples include “This given diagrams illustrate,” where the demonstrative and verb do not agree, and “Reading room were,” which has an agreement error and lacks a clear article. The sentence beginning “Overall” also has an unclear structure, while “There are a cafe” and “it contains” show problems with articles and agreement or reference. Most clauses follow basic patterns, with limited accurate control of more complex structures. Practise subject–verb agreement, articles and clear sentence construction, then proofread each sentence for a complete, logical comparison.

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