Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-16

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 image illustrates the before and after view of an airport prior to the developments.

Overall there is increase in the area occupied as well as the facilities provided currently.

Before the construction airport was quite small and had two areas the left one for departures and the right for arrivals. If one enter from the departure sector there is a check in counter at the left corner and a caffe at right top corner. After passing through the security then there is a walkway leads to the number of gates from 1 to 8.

However after construction the view changes to a bigger and more spacious airport. At departure site more facilities are now present like caffe at left corner and a bag drop on the other side of it. meanwhile the check in counter is now moved to the opposite direction from the bag drop. At arrival side there is a taxi service at the right side after entering and if you go straight there will be an ATM and caffe next to it. moreover more area is available for the walkway and with that the number of gates also increased from 8 to 18.

in conclusion the passengers can now experience a less congested airport with nearly everything they need.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview of the changes and detailing the main features of Southwest Airport before and after redevelopment. Key information is reported, such as the division into departures and arrivals, the addition of a bag drop, the expansion of the gates from 8 to 18 in a Y-shape, and new facilities like a sky train and car hire. However, there are minor omissions and some details are slightly inaccurate (e.g., stating car hire is a 'taxi service' and placing the check-in counter inaccurately in the before/after comparison). Despite these minor misreadings, the core message and comparisons are clearly presented, meeting the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0. Band 6.5 is awarded as some ideas could have been more fully and accurately developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs contrasting the 'before' and 'after' states, and a brief concluding sentence. Progression is generally logical, moving from the terminal entrance through security to the gates. However, paragraphing is somewhat informal and cramped, and cohesive devices are limited or repetitive (e.g., 'Before the construction', 'However after construction', 'meanwhile', 'moreover'). Referencing is occasionally slightly unclear, such as pronoun use ('if one enter', 'if you go straight'). Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, placing this aspect firmly in the Band 6 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items related to maps and airport facilities (e.g., 'redevelopment', 'spacious', 'congested', 'facilities'). However, there are noticeable word choice inaccuracies and spelling/form errors (e.g., 'caffe' instead of cafe, 'taxi service' instead of car hire, 'enter' instead of enters). There is also reliance on basic descriptive terms. The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but errors in spelling and lexical precision prevent it from reaching a higher band, making Band 6.0 appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are often basic or contain errors (e.g., 'If one enter from the departure sector there is...', 'there is a walkway leads to...'). Punctuation is weak, with a complete lack of commas in places and lowercase letters starting sentences ('in conclusion'). Grammatical errors—such as subject-verb agreement ('if one enter', 'area is available... and with that the number... also increased')—are frequent, though they rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors, warranting a 6.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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