Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-02
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 diagram illustrates the plans of the southwest airport right now and its redevelopment appear after next year.
Overall, a lot of transformation can be seen on southwest airport in following year . It will shift to few departures and arrivals gates to many gates. shops will be introduced within following year . Numerous changes such as atm , car hire , sky train will be developed in the next year .
Firstly , Southwest airport has 1 to 8 gates in recent year , which will shift to 1 to 18 gates in next year . walkway will change to sky train way . present southwest airport has only
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 fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While the student attempts to identify key features such as the increase in gates and the addition of new facilities like shops and a sky train, the report is incomplete and ends abruptly mid-sentence. The overview is present but lacks sufficient detail to fully cover the requirements of the prompt. Because the response is under-length and unfinished, it does not provide a comprehensive summary of the changes, leading to an under-developed response that fails to address all parts of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into short paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Cohesive devices are used in a very basic and sometimes repetitive manner, such as the frequent use of 'in the next year' and 'in following year'. The lack of a concluding sentence and the abrupt ending make the overall structure feel disjointed. While there is a basic attempt to group information, the lack of logical flow and the limited use of linking words mean that the coherence of the report is significantly compromised.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'transformation', 'changes', and 'introduced'. There is little evidence of the precise, topic-specific vocabulary required for describing maps or diagrams, such as 'extended', 'relocated', 'converted', or 'expanded'. Phrases like 'sky train way' are awkward and indicate a lack of familiarity with appropriate collocations. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it lacks the range and flexibility needed for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding article usage ('the southwest airport', 'in following year') and sentence structure. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the existing sentences are often simple or contain errors in word order and tense consistency. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces missing before commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and the lack of variety in sentence construction limit the score in this criterion.
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