Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-14

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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates how Southwest Airport site looks today and how it will change once redevleoped within the next year. There are a number of proposed changes to occur once the development is complete.

Firstly, the current site has one entrance to arrivals and one departure exit alongside eight gates with a single cafe and check-in desk located in the depatures section. There are also passport control and security before entering the airports walkway which pedestrians will have to walk to get to their gate. When arriving to the airport, there are no amentiies and only passport control and customs.

Notably, once the airport is redeveloped, it will increase in size with added amenties.

The number of entrances and depature doors will double and when departing from the airport more amenities will be available with a bag drop added. Once through security and passport control, shops are set to be added before pedestrians can utilise the sky train to access the eighteen gates - an increase of ten, signifcantly increasing the size of the airport. Furthermore, the development will result in the arrivals section having a cafe, ATM and care hire.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses the main features of the maps, comparing Southwest Airport as it is today with how it will look after redevelopment. Key information is reported, such as the increase in gates from eight to eighteen, the addition of the sky train, and new amenities like a bag drop, shops, and car hire. However, some details are slightly imprecise, and the overview could be more clearly synthesised. The progression of the comparison is logical, covering arrivals and departures adequately. Overall, the task is well addressed, earning a Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is organised into clear paragraphs separating the introduction, the current layout, and the future changes. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Notably', and 'Furthermore' are employed to guide the reader through the comparison. However, paragraphing could be slightly more balanced, and referencing is occasionally a bit mechanical ('pedestrians will have to walk to get to their gate'). Overall progression is maintained throughout, fitting the Band 6.5 criteria well, as it shows a clear logical organisation.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with appropriate topic-specific terms like 'redeveloped', 'passport control', 'amenities', and 'bag drop'. There are a few spelling and typographical errors, such as 'redevleoped', 'depatures', 'amentiies', and 'signifcantly'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary ('significantly increasing', 'utilise'), but lexical control fluctuates slightly due to these errors. This places the lexical resource securely in the Band 6.0 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The diagram illustrates how Southwest Airport site looks today and how it will change...' and 'Once through security and passport control, shops are set to be added before pedestrians can utilise the sky train...'. There are minor grammatical slips, including missing articles ('site of an airport', 'access eighteen gates') and minor preposition issues ('When arriving to the airport'). Nonetheless, these errors do not impede communication, supporting a Band 6.5 score.

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