Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-13

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 6.0)

The plans illustrate the current Southwest Airport and how it will look after renovation in the next year.

Overall, the airport is going have more quality of life changes after the redevelopment. The addition of car hire, bag drop, shops , ATM , sky train will make the user experience much more comfortable. Also, additonal gates and dual gates for entry and departure will be added according to future plans.

Right now the airport only has the absolute necessary spots. On arrival we first see the passport control customs in front of. then there are only 8 gates for people to go through which a simple walkway. Then comes the security passport control with the check-in being on the west side and a small cafe on the north-east side. The single gate departure is on the south side of the room.

After the development, there is going to be a car hire near the arrivals area with a ATM next to it for convinience. There will also be a new cafe just before the passport control customs. The gates will also be upgraded to a 18 gate setup. there will be sky train instead of normal walkway. A area with shops will be introduced just before the security passport control. The departure room will have a bag drop area which will replace the previous check-in. The new check-in will be where the cafe used to be and the cafe will be moved to the bottom left of the room next to the dual gates leading outside.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover the main transformation clearly: the concourse expands from eight to eighteen gates, a sky train is introduced, and new facilities such as shops, bag drop and car hire are added. The overview identifies the airport’s general move towards greater provision, and you compare the current and planned layouts. Some details, however, are inaccurate or over-generalised. The new check-in is moved to the inner wall beside Arrivals, not to the former café location; the café is relocated to the bottom-left corner. Also, the ATM is below the new café in Arrivals, rather than next to car hire, and the gates are not described as “dual gates.” More precise spatial reporting and checking each feature against the plan would strengthen an otherwise clear account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by separate descriptions of the current and future layouts. This makes the comparison easy to follow, and phrases such as “Right now” and “After the development” signal the change in time. The progression within the layout descriptions is less controlled, however. For example, the current-plan paragraph moves from Arrivals to the gates and then back to Departures without clearly marking the shift, while the final paragraph lists several changes in a sequence that can be hard to track. Some linking is also mechanical or incomplete, as in “then there are only 8 gates.” Grouping details by area and using clearer transitions would make the organisation more consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “passport control,” “check-in,” “bag drop,” “walkway” and “car hire,” so the reader can identify many airport features. There is also some attempt to describe change with phrases such as “will be introduced” and “will be upgraded.” However, several choices are imprecise or informal for an IELTS map report: “more quality of life changes,” “absolute necessary spots,” “dual gates” and “normal walkway.” Spelling errors such as “additonal” and “convinience,” along with inconsistent forms such as “18 gate setup,” reduce accuracy. Aim for precise location and facility terms, and proofread spelling and word forms; this will make your descriptions clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more extended sentences, and the future forms generally communicate the planned changes. Some sentences are also clear, such as “The plans illustrate the current Southwest Airport and how it will look after renovation in the next year.” However, errors recur in sentence construction, articles, verb forms and punctuation. Examples include “is going have” instead of “is going to have,” “in front of. then” as a broken sentence, “which a simple walkway,” and “A area with shops.” Capitalisation after full stops is inconsistent, and several long sentences join multiple changes without clear punctuation. Review basic sentence patterns and articles, and use shorter, accurately punctuated sentences when describing several locations.

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