Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-26

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 below illustrate the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks today.The picture shows some changings between 20 years ago and now of a public library.

In public library 20 years ago there was CDs, videos, and computer games in the north west corner, which, recently updated and now there are organized storytelling events and also placed there children fiction books. Moreover there are placed sofas for childrens sitting.

The main entrance remaind same in south. However, the tables and chairs are removed from main hall and main hall looks spacious now. In old library there was childran's bokks in north east corner and there is lecture room.

In 20 years ago there was reading room newspapers and magazines in south west corner which recently renovated and there is computer room. Furthermore, there is a cafe in south east corner and and 20 years ago there was enquiry desk tickets, book returns, etc room.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify several important changes, including the removal of the central tables and chairs, the conversion of the former reading room into a computer room, and the new café. However, the response does not give a clear overview of the main changes, and some comparisons are inaccurate or incomplete: the north-east room became a lecture room, but you write that it “is lecture room” without clearly contrasting it with the former children’s books area. You also omit major changes such as the reference-book area, the information desk and self-service machines. The response is 147 words, three words below the 150-word minimum; the 14 words copied from the prompt are not counted. Develop a concise overview and report the main changes more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has some paragraphing and uses basic linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “However,” and “Furthermore,” so the reader can follow several individual comparisons. However, the overall progression is not consistently clear: the first paragraph moves from the north-west room to its new use, while later details are presented without a systematic route through the plan. Some connections are also unclear, particularly “which, recently updated and now there are organized storytelling events,” where the relationship between the former and current layouts is difficult to follow. Organise the report into an overview followed by grouped comparisons, such as changes on the left and right sides, and use clear references to the two time periods.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a library plan, including “north west corner,” “main entrance,” “reading room,” and “computer room.” This gives you a basic range for the task, but several word-choice, spelling and collocation problems make parts of the description awkward or unclear. For example, “some changings” is not a natural way to describe alterations, and “placed sofas for childrens sitting” is difficult to interpret. There are also misspellings such as “remaind,” “childran's,” and “bokks.” Learn accurate forms of key plan vocabulary and use natural verbs such as “was converted into,” “was replaced by,” and “is located in” to describe changes precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “However” and a relative clause beginning “which.” Nevertheless, errors are frequent, and some sentence structures make the comparisons hard to understand. For instance, “The diagram below illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “In public library 20 years ago there was CDs” has problems with articles and plural agreement. The sentence “which, recently updated and now there are organized storytelling events” is not grammatically complete, and the shifts between past and present are not consistently controlled. Practise forming clear past-versus-present comparisons, checking agreement and articles, and separating long or incomplete sentences into accurate clauses.

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