Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-31
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 combination of blueprints illustrates information about the site of an airport now and how it will look after development next year.
At the fleeting glance, nowadays, walkway is quite small, but after innovation, it's size will be increased. Moreover, in present, the count of doors are 8 which will be increased in future to 18. Also, a shop will be opened after innovation near gate 1. The location of security, passport control, customs, departures and arrivals will be same. A car hire will also constructed in future.
Moving further, today, the location of check-in is near passport control at northeast side, however, after innovation cafe will be removed and placed at left hand side after departures and check-in will constructed at southwest corner, bag drop will be build at last location of check-in. Furthermore, a new cafe will be opened at right corner near customs, also ATM will be newly constructed, it is not in present.
Overall, the airport will be dramatically change in future and four new things will be constructed.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the airport plans, including the expansion of the walkway and the increase in gates. However, the description of the changes is somewhat disorganized and lacks a clear overview of the most significant transformations. While you mention several specific details, such as the relocation of the check-in area and the addition of a cafe, the report lacks a cohesive summary of the overall redevelopment strategy. To improve, ensure you group related information logically rather than listing features in a disjointed manner, and focus on highlighting the most prominent changes rather than every minor detail.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'Moving further' and 'At the fleeting glance' are used in a way that does not sound natural in an academic context. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear; for instance, 'bag drop will be build at last location of check-in' is difficult to follow without clear spatial markers. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that progresses logically from the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'At the fleeting glance' and 'after innovation', which is not the most appropriate term for airport redevelopment. You also rely on basic verbs like 'opened' and 'constructed'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', 'transformed', or 'integrated', and ensure that collocations are used accurately to convey your meaning more clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly regarding article usage ('the count of doors', 'at northeast side'), verb tense consistency ('bag drop will be build'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple or contain errors that slightly impede the reader's understanding, such as 'it is not in present'. While you attempt to use complex structures, they are often inaccurate. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, and practice constructing complex sentences with accurate punctuation to improve the overall flow and clarity of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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