The two plans below compare the layout of a typical Japanese office and a typical American office.
Sample Response
The floor plans illustrate two distinct office layouts, one typical of Japanese design and the other typical of an American officerepresentative of American style.
Overall, the office layout in Japan tends to be designed to facilitate a hierarchical yet communal working environment, with the provision of only deskstables and chairs. In contrast, the American office provides individual workspaces and incorporates additional rooms for specific functions.
In a typical Japanese office, the department manager’s desk is located at the head of the office where they can overlook the employees in the room. In front of the department manager’smanagers desk are two section managers’ deskstwo section manager desks, one on either side of the room. Likewise, the section managers are able to monitor their subordinates seated at one of the six-desk blockssitting at a block of six desks in front of them.
On the other hand, the department manager’s working space in an average American office is situated in one corner of the room, adjacent to which are two section managers’ officestwo section manager offices. Meanwhile, the staff desks are arranged individuallyindividually organized in rows in the middle of the office space. Unlike the Japanese office, the American officethat of the American includes a copier areaa printer room, storage space, and two conference rooms on the opposite side of the room. Finally, the latter typically has more windows than the former, with large windows installed on two sides of the room.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear, well-organised comparison of the two layouts and selects nearly all of the important spatial and functional differences. Its main limitation is a small number of precision lapses, notably calling the copier a printer and giving a somewhat unsupported generalisation about the American office having more windows. Prioritise exact labels and directly verifiable spatial comparisons while preserving the concise overview.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response provides a clear overview and a detailed, accurate comparison of management positions, staff arrangements, specialist rooms, and windows.
Use the visual's exact label “copier” and describe window placement directly rather than making a broad quantity claim.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing, sequencing, and referencing guide the reader smoothly from the overview through each office layout and their contrasts.
Make the final window comparison slightly more explicit so its reference points are immediately clear.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and precise for spatial description and comparison, with only an occasional label or phrasing lapse.
Retain the exact diagram terminology and avoid mildly awkward substitutions such as “that of the American.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with only an isolated possessive error.
Proofread possessive forms such as “department manager’s desk” while preserving the strong sentence variety.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The two plans below compare the layout of a typical Japanese office and a typical American office.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.