Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-15
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 maps illustrate the current layout of Southwest Airport and the possible changes after its redevelopment next year.
Overall, the area will become more developed in future with several new facilities including bag drop, ATM, sky train, car hire and many more.
At present, there is only one departure and arrival gate. Inside departure area, there is a check-in counter and and a coffee shop. Above the departure area, there are security and passport control offices. Meanwhile, passport control and customs offices are in arrival side. Walkway is on the northern side of the airport.
In future, there will be two departure and arrival gates. In addition to this, the cafe will be on bottom left cornor, and check-in on the top-right cornor. Bag drop facility will be added in future in place of previous check-in area. In arrival side, a new cafe, ATM and a car hire area will be added on the extreme right side. The walkway area will expand in the future and will be replaced by Sky train. However, security, passport and custom offices will remain the same.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers the main features of the maps, successfully identifying the transformation of Southwest Airport from its current state to the proposed redevelopment next year. Key changes such as the expansion of the gates, the addition of a sky train, and new commercial facilities like bag drop, ATMs, and car hire are noted. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the spatial details and locations. For instance, the student states that the walkway will be replaced by the sky train, whereas the visual data shows the sky train running centrally alongside the extended concourse while the walkway is expanded or altered. Furthermore, describing the gates as 'one departure and arrival gate' currently and 'two' in the future misinterprets the gate numbering system (which goes from 1-8 to 1-18). The overview is rather basic. Consequently, this falls under Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from introduction to overview, current layout, and future changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'In future', 'In addition to this', 'In arrival side'), which gives the text a somewhat mechanical flow. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as using 'arrival side' without fully clarifying the spatial layout. While there is a clear overarching structure, the limited range and occasional awkwardness of cohesive ties place this firmly at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe common airport features such as 'check-in counter', 'security', 'passport control', 'cafe', and 'car hire'. However, the range is limited and repetitive, and there are noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'cornor' instead of 'corner' and 'custom offices' instead of 'customs offices'. Less common lexical items are attempted with mixed success (e.g., 'bag drop facility', 'sky train'). Because the lexical range is somewhat restricted and errors occur with basic words, a score of 5.5 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional or future predictions ('the area will become more developed', 'In future, there will be two departure and arrival gates'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and omissions, including missing articles ('Inside departure area', 'In arrival side'), incorrect prepositions ('on bottom left cornor'), and a repetitive sentence structure ('There is/will be'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips are common enough to occasionally cause minor hesitation for the reader. This performance aligns with the Band 5.5 descriptors.
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.