Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-12

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 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the significant developmental changes that can be made in the infrastructure of airport in the upcoming year.

Overall, a noticeable change can be seen in the outer structure of the airport. The most beneficial change will be the route that will be extended into a Y-shaped pathway.

At present, only one way to arrival and departure can be seen and there is a check-in corner and cafe beside the security passport control. However, two passages will be built in the future for both arrival and departure. Furthermore, the facilities such as car hire, ATM and cafe will be available for the customers in near future. Although there is a cafe and place for check-in, but there position will be altered and an additional bag drop area will be developed.

Moreover, there are total 8 gates now ,which will be replaced by total of 18 gates and a facility of sky train will be given to travel along these gates.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making comparisons between the current and future layout of Southwest Airport. The student successfully highlights the expansion of gates from 8 to 18, the addition of a sky train, and the reconfiguration of the entrance pathways into a Y-shaped structure. Key facilities like car hire and ATMs are also noted. However, the overview is somewhat brief and relies on a single introductory sentence rather than a distinct overarching summary paragraph. While the information is generally accurate and relevant, further development in synthesising the overall transformation would elevate the response to a higher band. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, meeting the core requirements of Academic Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement, moving logically from an introduction to spatial descriptions of current and future features. Paragraphing is attempted, though the body paragraphs are somewhat cramped and could be structured more effectively to separate current features from future developments. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'At present', 'However', and 'Moreover', but referencing and linking are occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, as seen in phrases like 'Although there is a cafe and place for check-in, but there position will be altered'. The overuse of coordinating conjunctions creates run-on structures that affect the smoothness of progression. Clearer paragraph breaks and more varied cohesive ties would improve the flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms related to airport infrastructure such as 'infrastructure', 'pathway', 'security passport control', and 'bag drop area'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with varying degrees of success, including 'significant developmental changes' and 'reconfigured'. However, there are notable lexical and collocational inaccuracies, such as 'only one way to arrival and departure can be seen' instead of routes or entrances, and the misspelling of 'there position' instead of 'their position'. Despite these limitations, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without severely impeding the reader's understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at relative clauses and passive structures, such as 'passages will be built' and 'gates now ,which will be replaced'. However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary space before commas ('gates now ,which'), and grammatical errors such as 'there are total 8 gates' instead of 'a total of 8 gates'. Furthermore, the sentence 'Although there is a cafe and place for check-in, but there position will be altered' commits a double-marking error by combining 'Although' with 'but'. Errors occur regularly throughout the text, though they rarely impede overall communication.

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