Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plans shows the changes that are going to happen after the redevelopment of an airport.
Overall, after the redevelopment, more features will be available for the travellers such as bag drop, ATM's, sky train, car hire and shops.
The airport right now is faciliated with 8 gates, check-in facilities, cafe and walkway to different gates. The basic features are included in the airport which will be changed after redevelopment. Firstly, after the departures, bag drop area will be made for the travellers for rest. After security passport control, new shops will be made which is not there right now, so that people can buy little things for their journey.
Moreover, the number of gates will be increase from 8 to 18 after redevelopment, and the walkway will be replaced to sky train. IN addition, after passport control customs, a cafe, ATM and car hire will be made for tourists to make the journey in the country more reliable.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main features of the airport redevelopment, such as the increase in gates and the introduction of new facilities like the sky train and bag drop. However, the response lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, such as the complete reconfiguration of the terminal layout. While you mention several additions, the description of the 'before' state is slightly inaccurate (e.g., the original plan shows a cafe and check-in area, but your description of the 'after' state could be more precise regarding the location of these new features). To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more analytical summary of the overall transformation rather than just listing individual changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on different aspects of the redevelopment. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the referencing could be improved to better guide the reader through the spatial changes. For instance, the transition between the description of the departures area and the new facilities could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the progression of information is clear enough to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the airport features, such as 'redevelopment', 'passport control', and 'facilities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'faciliated with' (should be 'equipped with' or 'features') and 'make the journey... more reliable' (which is not the most natural collocation in this context). You also repeat 'made' several times when describing the new additions. To improve, try to use more precise verbs like 'installed', 'constructed', or 'implemented' to describe the changes to the airport infrastructure.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The plans shows' (subject-verb agreement), 'will be increase' (passive voice error: should be 'will be increased'), and 'which is not there right now' (which is slightly informal). Additionally, 'IN addition' contains a capitalization error. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. Focusing on consistent subject-verb agreement and correct passive voice construction will help improve your score in this area.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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