Central Library Floor Plan Changes Over 20 Years

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.

Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic Test 3 Writing Task 1 visual

Annotated response

10 correction notes

Showing 10 correction notes.

The comparison of the floor plans of the public library from two decades ago to its current layout reveals notable transformations. Significant enhancements have been made, particularly in the areas of the library cafe, computer room, and self-service amenities.

Beginning with the , the former has been replaced by a lecture room, necessitating the . Additionally, an information desk and three self-service machines have been integrated into this area. Furthermore, the inquiry desk in the has been repurposed into a cafe, .

In the section, the reading room, once home to newspapers and magazines, has been revamped into a modernized computer room. Adjacent to this, the rearrangement of books saw adult fiction moved to the East, making space for reference materials. Meanwhile, in the corner, the room previously dedicated to CDs, videos, and computer games has undergone renovations to accommodate storytelling events, alongside the inclusion of children’s fiction books and comfortable seating arrangements, .

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response presents a well-organised comparison with a clear overview and varied, precise vocabulary. Its main limitation is a factual inaccuracy in mapping the changes, as the lecture room is placed where the children's books were, when the diagram shows it replaced the adult non-fiction area in the north-east corner.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

7.0

The response covers most key changes with an overview and relevant comparisons, but it mislocates the lecture room, stating it replaced the children's section when the plans show children's books became the storytelling area and the lecture room replaced adult non-fiction.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas are logically sequenced by area with a range of cohesive devices and clear progression, though linking is at times slightly mechanical, as in the repeated use of 'Additionally' and 'Furthermore'.

Lexical Resource

8.0

Vocabulary is flexible and precise for describing change and location, with natural phrases such as 'repurposed into a cafe' and 'necessitating the relocation', showing only rare imprecision like 'heart of the library'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5

A wide range of complex structures, including participial and relative clauses, is used with good control and frequent error-free sentences.