Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-16
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 plans illustrate before and after view of airpot renovation in coming year.
Overall, It is evident that there are major increase in the gates so that more fights can land easily without delay. Bag dropping is placed initially that is a good sign. In addition to it the car rentals is immediately before arrivals for comfortable travelling for tourists.
Major add on is bag dropping counter just after cafe on the left side after entering into the airport. So that most of the burden can cleared initially itself. Then in front of it there is a check-in counter and then passport control and security. Further, moving towards gates before that we can find wide variety of shopping options like clothing, accessories, food many more. Furthurmore they have added extra 10 more gates so we can use skytrain to go to our destinated gate.
In arrivals, after passport control and clearing customs we can see on our left a cafe, after crossing it there is a ATM for the money withdrawal and at left corner before arrivals car rentals can be seen for can be easily accessable to foreigners for sightseeeing of city.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides a basic overview of the airport redevelopment, but it lacks a clear, analytical approach. While you mention the increase in gates and the addition of bag drop counters, the description is overly focused on a narrative 'walk-through' of the airport rather than a comparative summary of the main features. You failed to clearly contrast the 'before' and 'after' states in a structured way. To improve, you should group information by functional areas (e.g., check-in, shopping, arrivals) and explicitly compare the changes, such as the expansion of the gate area and the relocation of facilities, rather than describing the layout as if giving directions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps readability, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between the 'Overall' summary and the body paragraphs is abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition to it' and 'Furthermore', but they are sometimes used mechanically or incorrectly (e.g., 'In addition to it the car rentals is...'). The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial layout of the airport. Improving the use of cohesive devices to link ideas more fluidly and ensuring clear paragraph topics would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use some basic terms like 'major add on', 'good sign', and 'burden', which are not ideal for a formal report. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'destinated gate' (should be 'designated gate') and 'can be easily accessable' (grammatically awkward). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise, academic vocabulary related to maps and processes, such as 'expanded', 'relocated', 'integrated', or 'facilitate'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'there are major increase' (subject-verb agreement), 'can cleared' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'for can be easily accessable' (incorrect prepositional phrase). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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