Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-02
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 illustrate the site of an airport now and how it will appear after redevelopment next year.
Southwest Airport has now accessed through walkway. When we enter in it, It has main two buildings in which security and customs as present seprately. Both contains the passport control department. In departure side, There is a cafe and check-in. There are eight gates for entrance.
After redevelopment, The Southwest airport will have 18 gates for entrance on walk or by a sky train. On departure side, There will be shops just after entering into it. Security, customs and passport control departments are on the same place as it is now. In addition to chech-in and cafe there will be bag drop area in which passengers will drop their luggages. There will also a ATM machine and cafe on the arrival side.
Overall, Today Southwest airport now have very limited entrance capacity and other facilities like ATM and bag drop are missing. So after development it will have large entering capacity and many more facilities.
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
The response covers the main features of the airport plans, including the current layout and the proposed redevelopment. You successfully identified key changes such as the increase in gates, the addition of a sky train, and new facilities like the bag drop and ATM. However, the description of the current layout is slightly confusing, particularly the reference to the 'walkway' and the internal building structure, which lacks clarity. To improve, ensure that your overview clearly highlights the most significant transformation—the expansion of capacity and facilities—rather than just listing details. The summary is functional, but more precise comparisons between the 'now' and 'future' states would strengthen the response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, moving from the current state to the future plan and a concluding summary. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'When we enter in it' is awkward, and the use of 'In addition to' is a bit repetitive. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'Both contains the passport control department,' where it is not immediately obvious which buildings are being referred to. Improving the flow between sentences using a wider variety of linking words would help the reader follow the progression of the changes more easily.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the airport features, such as 'redevelopment,' 'departure side,' and 'passport control.' However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'seprately' instead of 'separately' and 'chech-in' instead of 'check-in.' Additionally, some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'on the same place as it is now' (should be 'in the same place'). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure accurate spelling of technical terms related to airport infrastructure.
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 frequent grammatical errors that distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('The plan illustrate,' 'Both contains'), incorrect preposition usage ('enter in it'), and missing articles ('There will also a ATM'). There are also punctuation errors, such as unnecessary capitalisation in the middle of sentences ('It has main two buildings'). To improve, focus on basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as these errors occur frequently throughout the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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