Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

SOUTHWEST AIRPORT

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The plan demonstrates the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

Overall, there will be significant expansion in an airport necause there are alot of facilities missing that will be installed like sky train, an ATM, a bag-drop area amd car hire services.

At present, the airport has a relatively simple layout, with eight gates located in a single rectangular building. Also, there are few facilities like check-in, cafe, walkway and gates for 8 floor with regular staircase.

After redevelopment, the airport will have a futuristic layout, with 16 gates lovated in a y-shaped building with a sky train installed between these building by swapping regular staircase. Moreover, ATM will be constructed as new facility to take out cash urgently, than car hire will be constructed to hire any type of car that a person wants. Lastly a bag-drop area will be built in departures area on check-in area before to replacing it to right side now. with shops at the top as new facility.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main change as airport expansion and mention several relevant additions, including the sky train, ATM, bag-drop area, car hire and shops. You also contrast the current single rectangular concourse with the planned Y-shaped layout. However, some key details are inaccurate: the future plan has 18 gates, not 16, and the current plan has no staircase shown. The description also misses important changes, such as check-in moving to the inner wall, the new café in Arrivals, and the extension of the concourse. Some details are unclear, particularly the claim that bag drop is “on check-in area” and that check-in is replaced. A more precise overview and accurate comparison of the main changes would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the present and future layouts. This gives the reader a general sense of the comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven, and several details are joined in long sequences with “Also,” “Moreover,” and “Lastly,” rather than being grouped by area or type of change. The final paragraph moves abruptly from the sky train to ATM, car hire, bag drop and shops, making the spatial relationships difficult to follow. Some references are also unclear, such as “these building” and “it.” Organise the future features by departures, arrivals and concourse, and use clearer linking and referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “facilities,” “Y-shaped,” “bag-drop area” and “car hire,” which helps communicate the main topic. There is also an attempt to describe purpose, as in “to take out cash” and “to hire” a car. However, several spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural expressions reduce control: “nec ause,” “alot,” “lovated,” and “regular staircase” are problematic, while “futuristic layout” is not a precise description of a map change. Phrases such as “gates for 8 floor” and “on check-in area” are difficult to interpret. Choose accurate location vocabulary and concise map language, such as “concourse,” “adjacent to,” and “is relocated.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple statements and longer sentences, including a relative clause in “a person wants” and a participial phrase in “with a sky train installed.” However, control is inconsistent, especially in the longer sentences. For example, “than car hire will be constructed” does not form a correct comparison, and “before to replacing it to right side now” has faulty verb patterns and prepositions. There are also agreement and article problems in “these building” and “a futuristic layout” is grammatically possible but does not fit the intended meaning. Sentence boundaries and capitalisation are inconsistent, particularly in the final paragraph. Use shorter, complete sentences and check verb forms, articles, agreement and punctuation.

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