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 picture illustrates the renovation plan of an airport site to be held next year. The area been covered already is smaller then the area to be covered in the new plan.
In future; the airport will have bag drop, ATM, sky trains and the facility to hire a car within a airport area. Although the the place been used by walkaway will be replaced by the sky tains and location of check-in would also be changed, moving towards the left side right in-front of the Bag drop in the departure section. And in the Arrivals, there would be a new ATM right beside the cafe which will also be moved from the departure area to the arrivals and there would also be a car hire corner alongside the ATM.
Moreover, there would be additions of shops, which will be located ahead of the security passport control section, lastly the sky trains, which will transport the luggage and people towards the plane.
In summary; the new design of the airport is much more modern, bigger in size and have more useful stuff.
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, such as the addition of sky trains, car hire, and the relocation of check-in and cafe facilities. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, such as the overall expansion of the terminal building. While the main features are identified, the description is somewhat fragmented and lacks a comparative analysis of the scale of the changes. To improve, ensure you provide a clear summary of the most striking differences between the 'now' and 'future' plans in the introduction or as a distinct overview paragraph, rather than just listing individual changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the transition between the departure and arrival sections is abrupt. The use of punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the misuse of semicolons in phrases like 'In future; the airport...' and 'In summary; the new design...'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring correct punctuation would significantly enhance the flow and logical progression of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'useful stuff' are too informal and vague for an academic report. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'walkaway' (likely referring to a walkway or corridor) and 'area been covered'. To reach a higher band, you should use more specific terminology related to airport infrastructure, such as 'terminal expansion', 'relocated', 'integrated', or 'modernized', and avoid informal language that is not suitable for an academic context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are frequent issues with verb forms and articles, such as 'The area been covered already is smaller then the area' (should be 'The area currently covered is smaller than the area') and 'within a airport area' (should be 'within an airport area'). Additionally, there are errors in sentence structure, such as 'Although the the place been used by walkaway will be replaced'. While there is an attempt to use complex sentences, the control over these structures is inconsistent, leading to frequent errors in tense and preposition usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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