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 layout illustrates the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Overall, the airport undergo significant development with introduction of more facilities and expansion of already existing features.
Southern airport now consists of eight gates which will be increased to 18 gates according to new layout. While the security passport control will remained unchanged. Whereas, the check-in right side of security passport control will be replaced with bag drop and cafe will be adjusted at the opposite side of bag drop.
The empty space in the arrival section at present will have some key features like car hire in the right corner after entering through arrival section. A cafe on right side of the security passport control and an ATM machine in the middle. An addition of a shop below the 18 gates. The new layout of southern airport will be more advanced with more facilities for passengers.
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 increase in gates and the relocation of facilities. However, the description is somewhat fragmented. While you identify the key changes, the comparison between the 'now' and 'next year' layouts could be more integrated. For instance, the transition between the current check-in area and the future bag drop is clear, but the spatial descriptions (e.g., 'right corner', 'below the 18 gates') are occasionally difficult to follow without a more cohesive overview of the site's layout. To improve, ensure you group features logically rather than listing them, and provide a more comprehensive summary of the overall transformation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader navigate the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the use of 'Whereas' at the start of a sentence to contrast the check-in area is grammatically awkward. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear; phrases like 'the empty space in the arrival section' could be better linked to the specific map features. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redevelopment', 'facilities', and 'layout'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'security passport control' is a non-standard term; 'security and passport control' would be more accurate. Furthermore, 'the airport undergo significant development' contains a subject-verb agreement error. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for describing maps and diagrams, such as 'relocated', 'extended', or 'transformed', and ensure your word choices are consistently natural and accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, 'the airport undergo' should be 'the airport will undergo', and 'will remained' is incorrect; it should be 'will remain'. Additionally, there are missing articles throughout the text, such as 'in the right corner' (which is fine) versus 'on right side' (should be 'on the right side'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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