Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-21

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 plan shows the site of Southwest Airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

Right now the airport building have only two entrance one for the arrivals and the other for departures. When we entered the departures side on our left we have a check-in counter and on the right side there is a Café. After than we entered in the last portion of the building where we have security and passport control department. Now at the end there is walkaway for the passengers and there are eight different gates.

After redevelopment they increased the number of entrance gates and they also changed the location of Café and now the café is at the left corner and along the café on the left side they also made a new bag drop facility for the passengers so when they have to go to the washroom or for any other work their luggage must be safe. They also add many other facilities like ATM, Sky Train and car hire.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a basic overview of the airport layout, but it fails to meet the requirements for a high-scoring Task 1 response. While you identify some changes, the description is overly narrative and subjective (e.g., 'when they have to go to the washroom... their luggage must be safe'). An IELTS Academic Task 1 requires an objective, analytical summary of the data. You missed key features such as the expansion of the departure gates and the overall transformation of the terminal layout. To improve, focus on comparing the 'before' and 'after' states using objective language rather than speculating on passenger behavior.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into two paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited, relying heavily on simple transitions like 'Right now' and 'After redevelopment'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to compare the two maps effectively. Furthermore, the paragraphing is not balanced; the second paragraph is quite dense, and the transition between the description of the current state and the future state could be smoother. Improving the use of comparative conjunctions (e.g., 'whereas', 'in contrast', 'subsequently') would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision required for describing maps and diagrams. You use basic terms like 'side', 'portion', and 'work'. There is an attempt to use specific terminology like 'check-in counter' and 'passport control', which is positive. However, the phrasing is often repetitive and lacks the academic tone expected in this task. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to spatial descriptions and changes, such as 'relocated', 'extended', 'transformed', and 'integrated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'airport building have', 'they also add') and tense usage. You mix present and past tenses inconsistently when describing a future plan. The sentence structures are predominantly simple or compound, with limited use of complex sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing commas that make the text harder to follow. Focusing on consistent tense usage—specifically using the future tense for the redevelopment plan—and improving sentence variety will significantly improve your score.

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