Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-06
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 two plans illustrate the site of southwest airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Overall, the size and facilities available will be increased. The major changes include converting square structure into wing-like structure with addition of more gates. The new facilities such as sky train, ATM, bag drop and car hire will be available after redevelopment.
Firstly, the airport will be expanded into a wing like structure. Today, it has only 8 gates which will be increase to more than double next year. The walkway will be replaced with sky train for the ease of the passengers.
Secondly, cafe will be doubled with one on the departures side while other on the arrivals side. Shops will be added too for the entertainment purpose during wait time. Today departures side has only check-in facility but in the future there will be a bag drop facility to give more ease to the passengers. On the arrivals side, there will be an addition of car hire facility and an ATM facility for hiring a car to go or taking cash out.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have successfully identified the main features of the airport redevelopment, such as the structural changes and the addition of new facilities. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with specific details from the diagrams. To reach a higher band, ensure you make more explicit comparisons between the 'now' and 'future' states rather than just listing features. For instance, mentioning the specific increase in the number of gates (from 8 to 18) would have provided a more precise comparison. Overall, you covered all parts of the task well and provided a logical summary of the information presented in the plans.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by theme. You use transition signals like 'Firstly' and 'Secondly' to guide the reader. However, the cohesion is sometimes a bit mechanical. To improve, try to use a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing is smooth. For example, instead of repeating 'today' and 'next year' frequently, you could use more sophisticated linking phrases to connect the two time periods, such as 'In contrast to the current layout' or 'Following the proposed redevelopment'.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'redevelopment', 'expanded', and 'facilities'. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'entertainment purpose during wait time' or 'give more ease to the passengers'. These do not impede communication, but they lack the precision expected at higher levels. To improve, focus on using more natural collocations and academic vocabulary. For example, instead of 'give more ease', you could use 'enhance passenger convenience' or 'improve the passenger experience'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('converting square structure' should be 'converting the square structure') and minor tense or preposition issues ('one on the departures side while other on the arrivals side' should be 'while the other is on the arrivals side'). These errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score but do not significantly impede communication. Focusing on article usage and subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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