Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-29
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 MAPS DEPICT THE PLAN OF CURRENT AIRPORT AND LAYOUT OF AIRPORT AFTER REFURBISHMENT IN NEXT YEAR.
OVERALL, THE WALKWAY WILL BE REPLACED BY SKY TRAIN.THE NUMEROUS FACILITIES SUCH AS ATM,CAFE AND CAR HIRE WILL BE ADDED TO THE ARRIVAL SECTION.
TO BEGIN WITH,CHECK-IN IS ALTERED BY BAG DROP AND CHECK-IN WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE AREA.MOREOVER,CAFE WILL BE SHIFTED TO THE LEFT CORNER BESIDE BAG DROP.AFTER PASSING THE SECURITY CHECK THERE WILL BE SHOPS.
FURTHERMORE,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the ability to fully address the task. While you have identified some key features, such as the replacement of the walkway with a sky train and the addition of new facilities, the analysis is incomplete. The response stops abruptly, failing to provide a comprehensive summary or a full comparison of the airport's layout. To improve, you must ensure you cover all areas of the map and provide sufficient detail to meet the length requirement, as the current version is too brief to be considered a complete report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response uses some basic cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'To begin with' to structure the information. However, the text is incomplete and ends mid-sentence, which disrupts the logical flow and progression of the report. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph is left empty, indicating a lack of control over the structure. To achieve a higher score, you need to ensure that your ideas are fully developed and linked in a way that guides the reader through the information logically from start to finish.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is functional but limited. You successfully use terms like 'refurbishment', 'layout', and 'facilities', which are relevant to the task. However, there is a lack of variety and some issues with collocation, such as 'check-in is altered by bag drop'. The range is insufficient to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more precise descriptive language related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'transformed', and ensure your word choices are consistently accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the' before 'current airport') and awkward phrasing ('check-in is altered by bag drop'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of complex structures and the presence of frequent errors limit the score. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of sentence types and pay closer attention to basic grammar rules, including article usage and proper punctuation.
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