Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-17
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 map illustrates the current layout of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Overall, it can be seen that clearly, the area underwent several significant changes, with the Sky train, ATM, Car hire, and Bag drop being the most noticeable developments. Meanwhile, Cheak-in, Cafe, Walkway, and Gates remained in the same location throughout the period.
Looking at the southwest airport, 1 to 8 gates will be converted into 1 to18 gates after redevelopment. In addition, the sky train, ATM, car hire, and bag drop will be constructed, while walkway will be removed. Furthermore, cheak-in will be replaced to new location front of bag drop as well as cafe was replaced behind the ATM.
Turning to the enters, departures and arrivals gates will be remained unchanged direaction after and before. In contrast, the arrivals gate next to the right side will be added one small cafe. Overall, the area will become more developme and convenient thet it had been previously.
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 covers the main features of the airport redevelopment, identifying key changes such as the expansion of gates and the addition of new facilities. However, the description of the spatial changes is sometimes confusing. For example, stating that the 'check-in will be replaced to new location front of bag drop' is imprecise and lacks clarity regarding the original versus the new layout. While the main features are highlighted, the report would benefit from a more structured approach to comparing the 'before' and 'after' states, as some details are presented in a slightly disjointed manner. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to provide a clearer summary of the overall transformation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. Cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of information is generally logical, moving from an overview to specific details. However, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when describing the movement of facilities like the cafe and check-in area. Improving the use of cohesive devices to better connect the spatial relationships between the old and new layouts would enhance the flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, covering the necessary terminology for describing maps (e.g., 'redevelopment', 'constructed', 'converted'). However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'Cheak-in' (check-in), 'direaction' (direction), and 'thet' (that). Additionally, the phrase 'more developme' is grammatically incorrect and indicates a lack of precision in word choice. While the student attempts to use a range of vocabulary, these errors and the limited variety of descriptive language prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on accurate spelling and more sophisticated collocations would improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'cafe was replaced behind the ATM' (tense inconsistency) and 'departures and arrivals gates will be remained unchanged' (incorrect passive voice usage). The sentence 'Overall, the area will become more developme and convenient thet it had been previously' also contains errors in word form and spelling. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of passive constructions and verb tenses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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