Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-07
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 plans illustrate the site of an airport before reconstruction and how it will look after reconstruction next year.
Overall, there are significant changes that will occur. Airport will increase it's area after redevelopment. Few facilities like ATM, car hire, sky train, bag drop can be seen in airport after construction and some parts remains unchanged.
The airport is quite small and lacks facilities right now. It contains check-in and cafe inside the departure gate. And there are only 8 gates for walkway. As things go as planned then there will be shops inside security and passport control. Large number of gates and also a sky train between those gates can be observed. Check-in, bag drop and cafe will be added inside the departures. And also, another cafe, ATM and car hire will be seen inside the arrivals. These are the facilities that will be added to the airport after a year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the airport redevelopment, identifying key additions such as the sky train, new shops, and expanded facilities. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic and lacks a clear, comparative summary of the overall transformation. While the main changes are mentioned, the description of the 'before' state is slightly underdeveloped, and the spatial relationships between the new facilities could be described with more precision. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most significant trends—such as the shift from a basic layout to a more complex, multi-functional terminal—rather than just listing individual features.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which provides a basic logical structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between the description of the current state and the future state is abrupt. There is a reliance on simple sentence structures, and the flow between ideas could be improved by using more varied linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'in contrast', 'furthermore'). Paragraphing is present, but the internal cohesion within the paragraphs is weak, making the progression of information feel slightly disjointed at times.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic verbs like 'seen', 'added', and 'contains'. While these communicate the message clearly, they do not demonstrate the range required for a higher band. There are also minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'Airport will increase it's area' (should be 'The airport will increase its area'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning or architectural changes, such as 'expand', 'incorporate', 'facilitate', or 'undergo significant modification'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'Airport will increase it's area' contains a punctuation error ('it's' instead of 'its') and a missing article. Additionally, 'Few facilities like ATM... can be seen' should be 'A few facilities...'. The sentence 'As things go as planned then there will be...' is awkward and grammatically incorrect. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve accuracy.
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.