Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given maps delineate the layout of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Overall, it is clear that the airport is expected to undergo several changes, including the construction of new facilities the ATM, the sky train, the car hire, and the gates and relocation or removal of some existing structure. However, certain features such as security passport control and passport control customs will be remain unchanged.
Looking at the first map, the walkway is located in the northern part of the airport. Furthermore, the security passport controls and the passport control customs are located on the western side of the airport and eastern side of the airport. In addition, the check-in area is situated on the western side of the map and the cafe is placed in the centre of the map. However, the gates are located on the southern part of the airport.
Turning to the second map, the security passport control and the passport control customs is projected to unchanged. On top of that, the shops will be newly built in the northern part of the map. Besides, the bag drop, the ATM, the car hire will be newly build inside the airport. Whats more, the cafe and check-in are likely to be relocated in the southwest corner and center of the airport. On the other hand, the gates will be unchanged. Finally, the sky train is likely to be constracted in the northern part of the airport.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview and selecting key features of Southwest Airport in both maps. The comparison between the current layout and the proposed redevelopment next year is clearly stated. The overview effectively highlights major additions such as new shops, the sky train, and car hire facilities, while noting that features like security passport control remain unchanged. However, there are minor omissions and slight inaccuracies in detailing exact locations, such as stating gates will be in the southern part and remain unchanged without fully describing their spatial adjustments. Overall, the content demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt and satisfies the requirements for Task Achievement at a Band 6.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently with a logical overall progression, moving from an introductory paragraph to an overview, followed by separate paragraphs detailing the first map and the second map. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. However, cohesive devices are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in repetitive sentence openings like 'Furthermore,' 'In addition,' and 'Besides.' Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear, and some cohesive links feel forced or repetitive, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Nevertheless, the progression of information is easy to follow throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'delineate,' 'redevelopment,' 'relocation,' and 'projected.' There are, however, several lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'passport control customs' (instead of customs and passport control), 'bag drop' (missing facility noun), and spelling errors like 'constracted' instead of constructed and 'build' instead of built. Despite these errors, communication is not impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, placing it firmly in the Band 6 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like 'is expected to undergo,' 'is projected to unchanged,' and 'are likely to be relocated.' However, there are notable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, such as 'passport control customs is projected to unchanged' (missing verb/adjective form) and 'the bag drop, the ATM, the car hire will be newly build' (tense and passive voice errors). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent minor errors in verb forms and prepositions restrict the score to Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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