Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-20
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 plans below illustrates the site of an airport and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
In 2026, there is a security passport control, a check in and a cafe for departures as well as a passport control customs for arrivals as well as there are 8 gates in total.Whereas after development there are 18 gates, some shops there is a security passport control for departures in which there is a bag drop, check in and a cafe whereas in passport control customs there is a cafe, an A.T.M as well as a car hire.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is severely under-length, containing only 97 words against the minimum requirement of 150 words. Because of this, the analysis of the visual data is heavily truncated. While the student attempts to highlight some changes between the NOW and AFTER DEVELOPMENT plans—such as the increase in gates from 8 to 18, the addition of shops, and new facilities like an A.T.M. and car hire—the overall summary lacks the depth, breadth, and structured overview expected at higher band levels. Key spatial relationships are missing, and the description resembles a rushed list rather than a fully developed report. Consequently, Task Achievement is penalised for failing to meet the minimum word count and providing an underdeveloped response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5
The response is structured as a single very long, run-on paragraph, which fails to use paragraphing effectively to separate the introduction, the initial layout, and the future changes. Cohesive devices are repetitive and basic, relying heavily on 'as well as' and 'whereas', which makes the text clunky and difficult to follow. There is a lack of clear logical progression or organisational structure to guide the reader through the comparison of the two plans. While basic referencing is attempted, the overall arrangement of ideas is flawed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, heavily mirroring the prompt's labels ('security passport control', 'check in', 'cafe', 'arrivals', 'gates', 'shops'). There are few attempts at less common lexical items, and those that are attempted lack precision. Some terms are mashed together awkwardly without proper prepositional or phrasal support. While the words used are generally recognizable and do not completely block communication, the lexical range is far too limited to satisfy requirements above a modest level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures. The writing consists predominantly of run-on, highly convoluted complex-coordinate sentences crammed with conjunctions ('In 2026, there is... as well as a... as well as there are...'). There are fundamental agreement and punctuation errors, such as 'The plans below illustrates' (subject-verb agreement failure) and a lack of commas to break up long clauses. Grammatical control is weak, and the frequent structural clumsiness places a heavy burden on the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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