Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-29

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 6.0)

The diagram below illustrates the floor plan of a public libary 20 years ago and how it looks at present.

20 years ago, the libary looked totally different. From the entrance, there were tables & chairs arranged in the middle. If we look at the right, there was an enquiry desk (tickets, book returns, etc.) just beside the entrance and on the other side, there was a section for children's books and there were adult non-fiction books in the middle of the right side. Then, on the left, there were a reading room (newspapers & magazines) located just beside the entrance and there were adult fiction books in the middle. In the left corner, there were CDs, videos, and computer games.

At present, the libary structure has totally changed. Starting from the entrance, on the right side, there is a cafe. With the cafe, there is adult fiction books, information desk, and self-service machines. On the right corner, there is a lecture room. If we look at the left, a computer room is beside the entrance and all reference books section is in the middle. Lastly, on the left corner, there is sofa's, storytelling events, and children's fiction books.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main purpose and describe several important changes, including the removal of the central tables and the new café, computer room, lecture room and storytelling area. However, some key details are omitted or unclear: the former children’s-books room becomes a lecture room, while the current children’s fiction area is in the top-left room; these changes are not explicitly compared. The current plan’s adult fiction area is also described as being “with the cafe,” although it is a separate open area, and the former CDs/videos room is not mentioned as having been replaced by children’s fiction and storytelling. A clearer overview of the major reorganisation, followed by accurate, selective comparisons between the two plans, would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised in a clear time sequence: it first describes the earlier plan and then the present one. Directional phrases such as “on the right,” “on the left,” and “Starting from the entrance” help readers follow the layout, and the paragraph break supports the change of time period. This coherent overall arrangement is a strength. However, the description sometimes reads as a list of locations rather than a comparison, and repeated sequencing phrases such as “Then,” “Lastly,” and “If we look at” make the linking somewhat mechanical. Some references are also imprecise: “With the cafe” does not clearly show how the adult fiction area relates to it. Grouping features by side and explicitly linking old and new uses would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a floor plan, including “entrance,” “enquiry desk,” “adult non-fiction,” “self-service machines,” and “storytelling events.” These terms communicate many of the relevant features, and the repeated use of “on the left/right” is generally understandable. However, some word choices and collocations are imprecise or informal: “libary” is misspelled throughout, “totally different” is conversational, and “With the cafe” does not express the spatial relationship clearly. “Sofa’s” also uses an incorrect apostrophe and is not the most natural way to describe the furniture. More precise location language and accurate spelling of key terms would strengthen the description while retaining its clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and longer sentences, using past forms for the earlier plan and present forms for the current one. This helps distinguish the two time periods, and most of the layout remains understandable. Some grammatical errors recur, however. In “there were a reading room,” the article does not agree naturally with the noun phrase; “there was a reading room” is needed. In “there is adult fiction books,” the plural subject requires “there are.” The phrase “there were a section” has the same agreement problem, and “there were tables & chairs arranged in the middle” could be expressed more directly. Continue checking subject–verb agreement, articles and plural forms, and use a wider range of accurate comparison structures.

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