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 plans illustrate the site of an airport before and after development.
Overall, the airport will be modernized after development. Several things such as gates, bag drop, cafes, ATM, car hire, and the ways of departure and arrivals will be redesigned. While the walkway will be replaced by sky train. Moreover, shops will installed in the northwest corner of the layout.
The airport consists of single ways of departures and arrivals, there will be the construction of more ways for them. The Southwest corner contains check-in and a cafe in the present airport, which will be rearranged with the addition of a bag drop in the right top corner. The South east corner is empty, whereas a cafe, an ATM, and a car hire will be added in this area next year.
The area of security and passport control remains the same, while some shops will be designed in the North west corner of the airport. Furthermore, the number of gates will be increased in the future airport from 8 to 18, and the walkway will replaced by sky trains making it new and innovative airport.
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 increase in gates and the addition of new facilities. You have successfully identified the key changes, such as the introduction of the sky train and the expansion of the departure/arrival areas. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview that synthesizes the most significant trends. While you mention that the airport will be 'modernized,' a more detailed summary of the spatial transformation would improve the score. The description of the layout is generally accurate, but some comparisons, such as the specific location of the new shops, could be more precise to ensure the reader can clearly visualize the changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, a general overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific changes. The progression of ideas is generally clear. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition between the description of the southwest and southeast corners could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the phrase 'the ways of departure and arrivals,' which is a bit awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the flow of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'modernized,' 'rearranged,' and 'innovative.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'shops will installed' is grammatically incorrect, and 'the ways of departure' is not the standard terminology for airport infrastructure; 'departure lounges' or 'departure areas' would be more appropriate. You also use 'the right top corner' and 'the northwest corner' inconsistently. Expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary related to maps and urban planning would help you achieve a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include 'shops will installed' (missing auxiliary verb), 'the walkway will replaced' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'making it new and innovative airport' (missing article). These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, focus on ensuring that passive voice constructions are formed correctly and pay closer attention to article usage and subject-verb agreement. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would also be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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