Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-05

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 given plans illustrate how the airport will look after the development that will take place next year.

Overall, the new airport is larger and will have new accommodations such as ATM, sky train, car hire and bag drop. However, the departures and the arrivals gates will stay at the same location.

Regarding the gates, new airport will have additional 10 more gates reaching 18 gates and they will be connected by the sky train. On the contrary, the existing airport only has 8 gates and passengers have to walk to them.

However, some new facilities will be constructed at the developing airport such as shops, which are not present at the old airport, in addition to other constructions which include ATM, sky train and car hire. Although security and customs will be at the same area in new airport, the cafe and the check-in zone will be located at different zones.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the airport redevelopment, including the expansion of gates and the addition of new facilities. You successfully identified the key changes, such as the sky train and the increase in gate numbers. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview that synthesises the changes effectively. While you mention that the airport is 'larger', you could have provided more specific comparisons regarding the layout changes. The description of the gate increase is clear, but the overall summary could be more professional by avoiding repetitive phrasing and focusing on the most significant structural shifts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the comparison between the current and future states. You use some cohesive devices like 'However', 'Regarding', and 'On the contrary' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. The referencing is generally clear, but the progression of ideas could be smoother. For instance, the transition between discussing gates and discussing new facilities could be better integrated to improve the overall cohesion of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the airport features clearly. You use terms like 'redevelopment', 'accommodations', and 'constructed' appropriately. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic descriptors. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to maps and spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'extended', 'integrated', or 'situated'. There are no significant spelling errors, but the word choice is functional rather than sophisticated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'new airport will have additional 10 more gates' is redundant and grammatically awkward; it should be 'an additional 10 gates' or '10 more gates'. Similarly, 'at the same area in new airport' requires articles ('in the new airport'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on article usage and sentence construction to improve accuracy.

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

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