Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The given diagram illustrates the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment in next year.

Overall, it is crystal clear that the airport will experience numerous changes, the most predominant of which is the expansion of gates and the establishment of various amenities, such as shops, a car hire, and an ATM, all aimed at meeting the demands of customers.

At a glance, the location of the departure and arrival entrances will remain the same but there are plans to install additional doors. Upon entering the airport, there is currently a single check-in and cafe. The future plan projects moving the check-in from the left to right side of the departure space, making space for a bag drop, and repositioning the cafe to the bottom left-hand corner. The arrival section will affix a cafe, ATM, and car hire which necessitates expanding the size of the building.

Moving further, security, passport control, and customs will be unchanged, however, the future floor plan shows shops immediately upon exiting the security section for departures. The largest proposed alterations are replacing a walkway with a long sky train track and constructing 2 branching corridors that will enable flyers to reach more than twice as many gates which are 8 at the moment while changes to 18 after the renovation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the airport redevelopment, including the expansion of gates, the addition of new amenities, and the introduction of the sky train. Your overview is clear and sets the stage well for the detailed description. You have made effective comparisons between the current and future states, such as the increase in the number of gates from 8 to 18. The response covers all key aspects of the prompt, and the information is accurately reported. To reach a higher band, ensure that all minor details, such as the specific location of the new shops or the exact nature of the branching corridors, are described with maximum precision.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information thematically. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Upon entering', 'Moving further', and 'however' to guide the reader through the changes. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the entrance to the interior and finally to the gate area. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate different sections of the airport. To improve, ensure that the transition between sentences is always natural; occasionally, the link between the arrival section and the security area could be slightly more fluid.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for describing maps and processes, such as 'redevelopment', 'predominant', 'amenities', 'repositioning', and 'alterations'. Your word choice is generally precise and helps convey the changes clearly. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to describe the features of the airport without repetition. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items related to architectural changes, such as 'integrated', 'extended', or 'reconfigured', to show greater flexibility and control over your vocabulary usage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For example, 'The future plan projects moving the check-in... making space for a bag drop' shows good control over participial phrases. While there are minor slips, such as 'in next year' (should be 'next year') and 'The arrival section will affix a cafe' (which is slightly unnatural; 'will feature' or 'will have' would be better), these errors do not impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is generally accurate. To improve, focus on ensuring that verb-noun collocations are always natural and avoid minor prepositional errors.

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

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