Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-20
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 diagrams illustrate the changes to Southwest Airport and how it will appear next year, and there are multiple services added for travelers.
Initially, the airport only had a check-in area, cafe, walkways and eight gates, whereas there is an addition of bag drop, ATM, cafe, sky train and several other facilities for visitors.
Firstly, the number of gates will increase from eight to eighteen and a sky train will be installed to provide access to the gates. Moreover, the check-in counter will be replaced by bag drop services for tourists. Meanwhile, the number of departures and arrivals will increase from one to double both sides. In addition, the arrival side is currently empty but a cafe will be added in the far right corner. An ATM will be located beside it, and there will be a car hire service beside ATM. Although the current a cafe will be moved from position near the departure area and in its current location a check-in area will be installed. However, there will be an addition of shops near the departure security area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 increase in gates, the addition of the sky train, and the relocation of facilities. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant trends, which is a requirement for a high band score. While the details are generally accurate, the description of the 'departures and arrivals' is confusingly phrased, and the spatial relationships (e.g., 'far right corner') are somewhat vague. To improve, ensure you provide a clear, concise summary paragraph that highlights the overall transformation of the airport rather than just listing individual changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Meanwhile' is generally effective in linking ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt, and some sentences feel like a list of features rather than a cohesive narrative of the airport's evolution. The referencing is mostly clear, but the logical flow could be improved by grouping features more effectively—for example, grouping all 'passenger services' together versus 'structural changes' to the gates and train.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the changes clearly. There is some attempt to use specific terminology like 'redevelopment', 'facilities', and 'counter'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'double both sides' which is unclear. The repetition of 'added' and 'area' suggests a need for more varied synonyms to describe the expansion and layout of the airport. Expanding the range of descriptive verbs and nouns would help elevate the response to a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'the current a cafe' and 'in its current location a check-in area will be installed', which is awkward phrasing. The use of future tense is consistent, which is appropriate for the task. However, punctuation and article usage could be more precise. To reach a higher band, focus on reducing these minor errors and incorporating a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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