Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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 plans below compare the current layout of the southwest airport and after development.

Overall, the southwest airport will undergo considerable changes and several upgrades. The most significant changes will be the expansion and addition of a sky train, more gates and a car hire area. Minor changes will include the installation of an ATM, additional enterances and conversion of a previous check-in area into an enlarged baggage drop area and a new checkin location area.

The area with the most development will be the area of the gates situated at the northern side which will include additional gates and the installation of sky trains for convenient travel. A cafe, atm machine and car hire area will be added at the bottom on the far right end of the arrivals area. To the left of the arrivals where the departures entrances are, the cafe at the northern corner will be relocated to the bottom left corner. Right next to cafe will be the baggage drop opposite is where the new check-in will be.

In contrast, what used to be the security and passport control on the left hand side of the building and the passport control and customs on the right-hand side of the building will remain the same after the development. However, shops will be included in the section right above the security and passport control area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview of the main changes at Southwest Airport and reporting specific details such as the gate expansion, sky train installation, and changes to check-in, bag drop, and retail areas. The introduction and overall paragraph successfully highlight the most significant developments. While the response could benefit from slightly more explicit spatial referencing (for instance, describing the transformation of the concourse into a Y-shape more precisely), all major features shown in the diagrams are accurately reported without major omissions or factual errors. This performance aligns well with Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The text is logically organised into an introduction with an overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing specific spatial changes and areas that remain unchanged. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'The area with the most development', and 'In contrast', which help guide the reader through the comparison. Paragraphing is logical and appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. However, referencing is occasionally slightly loose, and transitions between sentences within the body paragraphs could be smoother to achieve a higher band. Overall progression is clear throughout, fulfilling the criteria for Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe spatial changes, using terms such as 'considerable changes', 'expansion', 'installation', 'relocated', and 'conversion'. There are some attempts at less common lexical items appropriate for map descriptions. However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'enterances' instead of entrances and 'checkin location area' which is slightly redundant. Despite these occasional flaws, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended information clearly, supporting a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 score, placing it firmly at 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases ('To the left of the arrivals where the departures entrances are...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, and grammar control is generally good. However, minor mechanical and grammatical errors occur, including punctuation omissions and slight awkwardness in phrasing (e.g., 'compare the current layout of the southwest airport and after development', where parallelism is lacking). These errors do not impede communication, matching the Band 7 criteria where complex structures are attempted and good control is maintained despite some persistent minor errors.

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

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