User-written IELTS example
Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example
Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.
Illustrative target band for this original model answer.
Plan your answer
Try your own response before reading the samples.
Ideas to explore
- Highlight the main transformation: a central seating and table area in the earlier plan gives way to a layout with more specialised facilities.
- Compare how the east side changes from children's and adult non-fiction books plus an enquiry desk to a lecture room, an information desk, self-service machines and a café.
- Track the west side from media, adult fiction and a reading room to storytelling, children's fiction, reference books and a computer room; note that the entrance stays centrally located.
Suggested structure
- Introduce the two plans and give an overview of the most significant changes and any feature that remains.
- Describe the earlier layout, grouping rooms by side or by upper, middle and lower sections.
- Describe the current layout using the same spatial framework so the reader can compare positions.
- Finish with a concise summary of how the library's range of facilities has changed.
Useful vocabulary & examples
- occupy the upper-left corner
- be located in the top-left part of a floor plan
The media room occupied the upper-left corner of the library.
- be replaced by
- be removed and have something else put in its place
The central seating area was replaced by several new facilities.
- remain in the same position
- stay in the location shown in the earlier plan
The entrance remains in the same position at the centre of the lower wall.
- be located opposite
- be positioned across from another place or feature
The enquiry desk was located opposite the reading room.
Task Prompt

User Essay Analysis
Review the public answer with report-style highlights.
The provided picture illustrates the design of a public library today in comparison to 20 years ago. Overall, the most significant change is that today’s library offers much more than just a place for books. Dedicated rooms now serve a variety of functions, contrasting with the previous design, which primarily focused on traditional book-related activities, whereas the earlier floor plan had a central area of tables and chairs, today these have been removed and the entrance remains at the bottom centre. The former library also contained CDs, videos and computer games in the northwest, children’s books in the northeast, and adult fiction and non-fiction on opposite sides of the central space. A reading room for newspapers and magazines occupied the southwest, while an enquiry desk stood in the southeast. In the current plan, storytelling events and two sofas occupy the northwest, with children’s fiction books below them; a lecture room replaces the children’s-book area in the northeast. All reference books now fill the western middle section, opposite adult fiction books and an information desk on the eastern side. Finally, a computer room occupies the southwest, while self-service machines and a café are in the southeast.
Targeted Improvement Tips
Related examples for this topic
Compare different bands on the same IELTS prompt.
The illustrations provide information about the changes taking place in the central library over a 20-year period. Overall, the library underwent substantial changes to include...
Band 8.0The graph illustrates the comparison of a public library 20 years ago and the present time. Overall, it is remarkable that this public library has gone through numerous major ch...
Band 7.0The two pictures compare the current layout of a public library with how it looked 20 years ago. It is evident that the changes involved the transformation functions of all sect...
Band 6.0The presented illustration of two maps does demonstrate plan of a Central bibliotheca comparing with two decades ago and now present. Overall, the library has been updated to in...
Band 5.0The diagrams show Central Library before and after changes were made to its layout. Clearly, the library has been updated to include dedicated spaces for events and now has an o...
Band 4.0The diagram shows the changes in the floor of a central library by plans of 20 years ago and now. 20 years age, there were 2 ailes in right and left of the entrance, the left on...