Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-25
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 below portrays that how will the airport look after the redevelopment process which will start from next year.
Overall, the airport will undergo an immense expansion and modernization. The number of gates are going to increase significantly alongside the introduction of sky train. Many new amenities are also planned to be introduced, however some facilities are going to remain same like security and customs.
At present the departure area includes a cafe and a check-in. But in the new plan a bag drop place is also the part of it. After the security and passport control there is just an empty walking area, which is going to have shops next year. The biggest change is the the number of gates which substantialy increased by a number of ten, to travel to your required gate you can now access the sky train.
Upon your arrival you pass the passport control and customs and you just go. But after the development you will have the amenities like a cafe , atm and the most essential part of leaving towards your destination which is the traveling is going to become much easier beacuse car hire service will also be introduced.
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, including the expansion of gates, the addition of the sky train, and new amenities. However, the description is somewhat informal and lacks precision in reporting data. For instance, stating the gates increased 'by a number of ten' is slightly awkward. While the overview is clear, the report would benefit from a more analytical approach to the comparisons, such as grouping the changes more logically (e.g., airside vs. landside developments) rather than following a chronological narrative of a passenger's journey, which is less suitable for a formal report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. There is a clear introduction and an overview. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'but' and 'and'. The transition between the current state and the future state could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences in the final paragraph is slightly disjointed, making the progression of ideas feel a bit forced rather than naturally linked.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes effectively. There are attempts to use more specific terminology like 'redevelopment', 'modernization', and 'amenities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'bag drop place' (should be 'bag drop area') and 'leaving towards your destination' (which is slightly unnatural). The spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors rather than more precise academic terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'The number of gates are' (should be 'is'), 'substantialy' (spelling error), and 'the the' (repetition). The use of articles and prepositions is occasionally inconsistent. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to subject-verb agreement and punctuation would improve the overall accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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