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 plan below shows a site of an airport before and after development.
Overall, the airport is has almost changed its structure to make the process easier for the passengers. More space is built and more services are included to accommodate passengers. Before the airport had small number of gates and not enough services to make the flight easier for the passengers but now the airport includes a lot of services which will make the service easier for the passengers.
The plan after development includes major services some passengers may want to take before any flight . Providing sky train and car hire will help passengers save their time while adding baggage drop and ATM will make a relief for the passengers. Building more gates can make a better flow and will save time for passengers on board . Before development the airport intend to give less services as well as more time for passengers to reach their flights but after development and providing more services for the passengers will make a relief in their hectic schedules.
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
The response addresses the task by identifying the main features of the airport redevelopment. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the addition of a sky train, car hire, and baggage drop, you fail to describe the spatial changes, such as the expansion of the terminal building or the reconfiguration of the departure and arrival gates. The description relies heavily on subjective commentary (e.g., 'make a relief for the passengers') rather than objective reporting of the visual data. To improve, focus on describing the physical layout changes, such as the new walkway and the increased number of gates, rather than speculating on the passengers' feelings.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into two paragraphs, which is appropriate for a short report. However, the progression of ideas is repetitive. You use the phrase 'make the process easier for the passengers' or similar variations multiple times, which creates a circular flow rather than a logical development of information. Cohesive devices are limited and sometimes used mechanically. For example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraph is abrupt. Using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'In contrast,' 'Furthermore,' 'Specifically') would help guide the reader more effectively through the comparison of the two maps.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'make the service easier' and 'more services.' There is little use of topic-specific vocabulary related to airport infrastructure (e.g., 'terminal expansion,' 'reconfigured layout,' 'increased capacity,' 'streamlined check-in'). Furthermore, some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'make a relief for the passengers.' To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise nouns and verbs to describe the changes shown in the diagrams, such as 'extended,' 'relocated,' or 'integrated.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. For instance, 'the airport is has almost changed' is grammatically incorrect. You also have issues with article usage ('a site of an airport' should be 'the site of the airport') and verb tense consistency when describing the future development. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your verb tenses accurately reflect the timeline of the redevelopment.
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.