IELTS Academic Writing task 1. The plans below show a traditional and modern two-storey Japanese house

 

The plans below show a traditional and modern two-storey Japanese house.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Sample answer 1:

The plans of a Japanese house — one traditional and the other modern — are provided with emphasis on the differing layouts.

Generally, while both houses maintain a two-storey structure, the traditional version gives more priority to multifunctionality; on the other hand, modern design has private clearly defined rooms in the upper floor but keeps the lower level open-plan. 

At the lower level of the old house, the kitchen, bathroom, and one room appear around a middle stair; these will be seen to come clearly into different zones. Rooms use tatami mat flooring and can unfold futons at night; built-in cupboards exist in both levels. Modern plans show less contrast: a kitchen and living-dining space have no internal walls; a traditional room, though smaller, serves many functions by time of day.

Upstairs, the traditional home contains interconnected rooms with tatami flooring, separated by sliding doors. Notably, the traditional house lacks internal doors altogether, while the modern one includes clearly defined rooms with separate access points. The modern home presents a main bedroom with an en suite bathroom, two additional bedrooms, and a second bathroom.

Sample answer 2:

The two floor plans show how the inside of a Japanese house has changed — from a traditional setup to a modern one.

The older house feels a lot more open — there are not many walls, and spaces seem to flow into each other. In the newer version, each room has its own job and is kept separate.

Downstairs in the old house, there are two rooms next to the stairs, and they are divided with sliding doors rather than walls. Tatami mats cover the floor instead of modern materials. This setup allows more flexible use of space. The kitchen and bathroom are placed in the corners without strict separation. By contrast, the newer home has a set kitchen, a combined living and dining area, and no sign of traditional mats or futons.

Upstairs, the traditional version keeps things basic — just two rooms divided by panels. In the modern version, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which is private and attached to the main bedroom.

Overall, the newer design shows a shift toward comfort and privacy, while the older one was built around shared use of space.

Sample answer 3:

The two floor plans compare the layouts of a traditional and a modern two-storey Japanese house. Overall, while the modern design introduces a more compartmentalised and Western-style arrangement, it still preserves one room with traditional Japanese features.

Downstairs, most structural elements remain in place, including the entrance and staircase. In both versions, there is a traditional room featuring three typical elements: tatami flooring made of woven straw, a futon stored in a cupboard, and a sliding door. However, the location and surrounding layout have changed. In the traditional house, this room was situated at the end of a corridor beyond a separate kitchen and bathroom. In the modern layout, it has been repositioned to the corner of an open-plan area that combines the kitchen and a living–dining zone. Notably, the downstairs bathroom has been removed in the contemporary design.

The upper floor has undergone more dramatic changes. What used to be two interconnected tatami rooms is now a five-room layout, including a master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, two single bedrooms, and an additional shared bathroom. Hinged doors have replaced the traditional sliding ones. Another key transformation is the replacement of foldable futons with fixed Western-style beds, eliminating the need for cupboards to store bedding.

Sample answer 4:

Provided are two plans of a Japanese house, a traditional and a modern one, concentrating on the differences in layout.

Overall, there is a clear two-storey structure in both houses, but the traditional version is more multifunctional. In contrast, the modern design has private, clearly defined rooms on the upper floor, with an open-plan lower level.

In the traditional dwelling, the kitchen, bathroom and one room is placed around the central staircase. Each one of these areas is not demarcated as a single space but rather as a zone. Floors of the rooms have tatami mats and futons can be stored in cupboards during the daytime to make space in the rooms at night. There are fitted wardrobes across both levels of the house. The modern layout is less contrained: there are no internal walls between the kitchen and living-dining area, and a smaller traditional room does serve multiple purposes depending on the time of day.

Interconnected upstairs rooms in the traditional house have tatami flooring and are separated from each other by sliding doors. The modern house has removed any internal doors. Unlike the traditional house, the modern one has rooms that can be locked from the outside. The house features a main bedroom with an en suite bathroom, two additional bedrooms, and a second separate bathroom.