Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-18

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 4.5)

The process diagram compares the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

It is clearly seen from the first diagram that there are four things and walkway will be change in next year while other things remain same in next year. In the second diagram, there are a significant change such as bag drop, ATM ,sky train, Car hire and gates whereas the position of cafe and check -in has been change but walkway has been replaced by sky train. In brief,the gates are also been added by a enormous amount.

Next year, Bag drop, ATM ,Sky train ,Car hire and gates are the new features that has been added than the previous one. They also added the shops near by the security passport control.

By far, the most common form of travel has been by sky train and bus. To be more precise,another cafe has also been added near by the passport control customs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The student attempts to describe the changes shown in the airport maps, identifying several new features such as the bag drop, ATM, sky train, car hire, and extended gates. However, the response fails to correctly identify the graphic type, incorrectly calling it a 'process diagram' instead of maps or floor plans. Furthermore, the overview and selection of features lack clarity and precision. The text includes irrelevant information and assumptions not present in the visual data, such as claiming that 'the most common form of travel has been by sky train and bus.' Because the key spatial changes (such as the Y-shaped concourse extension and the relocation of check-in) are described very vaguely and accompanied by inaccuracies, the response only partially addresses the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is inadequately organised into very short, disjointed paragraphs that fail to guide the reader through the comparison logically. While the student attempts to use transition phrases like 'In the second diagram' and 'Next year', the overall progression is confused and repetitive. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or inaccurately ('By far, the most common form...'), and referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult to follow which area of the airport is being discussed. Paragraphing is also poorly handled, with single sentences standing alone as paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The lexical range is limited and repetitive, relying on basic vocabulary ('things', 'diagram', 'added') to describe the spatial changes. There are noticeable word choice errors, such as referring to physical airport infrastructure as 'four things' and misidentifying the visual type as a 'process diagram'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with frequent inaccuracy, and collocations are often unnatural (e.g., 'gates are also been added by a enormous amount'). These lexical limitations occasionally impede clear communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including subject-verb agreement issues ('there are four things and walkway will be change'), incorrect passive voice formations ('has been change', 'are also been added'), and tense confusion ('has been added than the previous one'). Punctuation and article usage are also inconsistent. These errors frequently cause strain for the reader.

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

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