Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The two images hsows the camparison of site of south-west airport before and after its development.

A major changes can be observed in departures and arrivals area after its reconstruction. There was a check in area in left and cafe at the right area in departures. Arrival area was fully empty. On the top of departures side, you can find security and passport control office . On the opposite side, there was another passport control and customs office. On the top of airport site, two walkway were constructed with eight gates which leads to airplane.

After construction image shows that departures area got a bag drop in addition. The arr

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the airport as a before-and-after plan and report some relevant features, including the departures check-in and café, the security and passport-control area, and the addition of bag drop. However, the response is incomplete and does not provide a clear overview of the main changes. The claim that arrivals was “fully empty” is inaccurate: it already contained passport control and customs. The description also stops just as the redevelopment of arrivals is introduced, omitting major changes such as the expanded Y-shaped concourse, the increase from eight to eighteen gates, the sky train, shops, and new arrivals facilities. The response is also 40 words below the required minimum. Develop a complete comparison and select the most significant changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic sequence from the current airport to the redevelopment, and phrases such as “after its reconstruction” and “After construction image” signal the comparison. However, the response has no clear overview or paragraph structure, and the progression is cut off at “The arr,” leaving the second stage unfinished. Some references are also difficult to follow: “On the top of departures side” and “On the opposite side” do not clearly identify which part of the plan is meant. Organise the response into an introduction and overview, followed by a paragraph on the current layout and one on the proposed changes. Use precise location references and linking phrases to make the comparison easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing plans, including “departures,” “arrivals,” “check in,” “passport control,” and “gates.” This gives the reader a basic sense of the airport layout. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or spellings reduce clarity, such as “camparison,” “site,” and “office” for airport facilities. “Two walkway” is also an inaccurate form for describing the routes shown. Use more precise map language, such as “terminal,” “concourse,” “counter,” “facility,” and “located beside,” and check spelling and collocations. A wider set of accurate terms would help you describe the redevelopment rather than relying on general words such as “area” and “construction.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses mostly short, simple statements, with a few attempts to combine information, for example, “On the top of departures side, you can find security and passport control office.” However, grammatical errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. Examples include “The two images hsows,” “A major changes can be observed,” and “two walkway were constructed,” which show problems with subject–verb agreement and plural forms. Articles are also missing in phrases such as “in left” and “at the right area.” The final sentence is incomplete, ending with “The arr.” Practise accurate sentence patterns for describing locations and changes, and proofread agreement, articles, plurals, and sentence completion.

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