Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26

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 5.0)

The diagram shows the present southwest airport divided the 2 portions of the airport, from starting departures on the left side then forward here is security passport control, on the other side arrivals gate and at the same place forward passport control customs and also adds the check in and cafe, walkingway, and also gates 1 -8 mentioned on the top of the diagram.

After development the departures and arrivals has changed on the left side 2 gates then move a step a cafe and a check-in and also bag drop on the security passport control and upwards the shops as shown, while on the right side the 2 arrival gates car hire, atm ,cafe and passport control customs and upward 1-16 gates covered the sky train ares.

The illustration to this diagram from now and after development change has made on a wider scale the, Atm, bag drop ,care hiring has been redeveloped.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the changes in the airport layout but fails to provide a clear overview or effectively highlight the main features. The description is fragmented and lacks a logical structure, making it difficult to follow the comparison between the 'now' and 'after' plans. Key features are mentioned in a list-like fashion rather than being synthesized into a coherent summary. The response lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes, such as the expansion of gates or the addition of new facilities like the sky train. Consequently, the information is not well-selected or clearly reported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear logical progression. While there are paragraphs, the internal structure of each is confusing, with ideas presented in a disjointed manner. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly, such as the awkward transition 'The illustration to this diagram from now and after development change has made on a wider scale'. Referencing is often unclear, making it difficult for the reader to track which part of the airport is being discussed. The overall arrangement of information is mechanical and lacks the necessary flow to guide the reader through the visual data.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often imprecise. The student relies on basic terms and struggles to describe the spatial layout accurately, using phrases like 'forward here is' or 'upwards the shops'. There are several instances of awkward word choices and collocations, such as 'walkingway' instead of 'walkway' and 'care hiring' instead of 'car hire'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe the technical aspects of the diagram with precision, and the repetition of basic structures hinders the clarity of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede communication. There are issues with sentence structure, such as run-on sentences and fragments (e.g., 'The diagram shows the present southwest airport divided the 2 portions...'). Subject-verb agreement is inconsistent, and there is a lack of complex sentence structures. Punctuation is also problematic, with erratic comma usage and missing articles. While the meaning can be inferred in some places, the high frequency of errors makes the text difficult to read and significantly lowers the overall quality of the writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.