Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-01
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 figure illustrates the site of an airport at present and how it will look after reconstruction the following year.
Overall, the airport will be considerably expanded, with the number of gates more than doubling from 8 to 16. Besides a sky train system will be implemented with the addition of a lot of passenger facilities like the cafe, ATM and car hire etc.
At present the security and passport control are situated in the departures area whereas the Arrival area comprises of the passport control and custom facilities. A narrow walkway leads to a rectangular structure containing 1-8 gates with a cafe and check-in facilities provided in the terminal.
After redevelopment, the basic division between the departures and arrivals will remain the same with a lot of facilities added like ATM, bag drop and a cafe on the arrivals side with a new car hire. overall, the facility will be enlarged with a lot of new facilities and many gates .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| 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 addition of the sky train and passenger facilities. However, the response lacks a clear, analytical comparison. While you mention the number of gates doubling, you could have provided more specific detail on the spatial changes, such as the relocation of the check-in area or the expansion of the terminal building itself. The conclusion is somewhat repetitive and does not add new insight. To improve, ensure you highlight the most significant changes rather than listing features, and provide a more cohesive summary of the overall transformation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the phrase 'a lot of' is used multiple times, which detracts from the flow. Transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to better link the 'before' and 'after' states. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the progression of ideas within the paragraphs could be smoother to better guide the reader through the spatial changes described in the diagrams.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for higher bands. You rely heavily on informal or vague phrasing such as 'a lot of' and 'etc.' which is inappropriate for an academic report. There is an attempt to use specific terminology like 'reconstruction' and 'implemented', but these are not always used in the most natural way. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise, academic vocabulary related to maps and changes, such as 'expanded', 'relocated', 'integrated', or 'transformed', and avoid informal abbreviations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the Arrival area comprises of' (comprises does not take 'of') and 'Besides a sky train system will be implemented' (which lacks a comma and is phrased awkwardly). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor issues with capitalization and sentence structure. To improve, focus on eliminating these small errors and incorporating a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice constructions, to describe the changes more effectively.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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