Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-21

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 5.0)

The maps compare the infrastructure of southwest airport before and after the development in the upcoming year .

Overall, airport before development has limited options and facilities while in a new airport a lot of variations were made.

Firstly, change was made on gates of departure and arrival, before redevelopment there were only 2 gates, 1 for departures and 1 for arrivals

while after redevelopment there were 2 gates for each. Although, location of check in was made before it was in left while it was on right site after re development. Although, cafe was on right upward corner after redevelopment it was on left lower corner.

There was walkway in the centre of airport that changed into sky train. While, gates were only 8 which turned into 18 with different pathways.In addition to this new options were made such as ATM, car hire and bag drop.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5

The response is under the 150-word minimum (containing 147 words), which negatively impacts task achievement. Furthermore, the content contains several major inaccuracies in reading the diagrams. For instance, the student states that 'before redevelopment there were only 2 gates, 1 for departures and 1 for arrivals', whereas the maps actually show gates 1-8 in the current layout and 1-18 after development. The description of facility locations (such as check-in and café positions) is also confused and largely incorrect. While there is an attempt at an overview and reporting some changes (such as the addition of a sky train, ATM, car hire, and bag drop), the misunderstandings of the visual data lead to a partial and flawed response. Band score: 4.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay attempts a paragraph structure with an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing changes. However, the logical progression is weak and disjointed due to abrupt shifts between ideas and misused cohesive devices, such as starting multiple sentences with 'Although' inappropriately (e.g., 'Although, location of check in was made...'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and paragraphing is overly fragmented, with single-sentence paragraphs used in the body. While an overall organizational structure is attempted, the flow and referencing mechanics are frequently faulty. Band score: 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple words like 'airport', 'development', 'gates', and 'cafe'. There are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'variations were made' instead of 'modifications were introduced' or 'changes were implemented', and 'location of check in was made'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success ('infrastructure', 'redevelopment'), and spelling or word-form issues appear ('check in' unhyphenated, 'upward corner'). The range is minimally adequate for the task but lacks precision. Band score: 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures often contain errors. Examples include missing articles ('southwest airport', 'in centre of airport') and awkward phrasing ('while after redevelopment there were 2 gates for each'). Punctuation is weak, with spaces placed incorrectly before commas and periods. Frequent grammatical errors occur, but they generally do not completely impede communication. Band score: 5.0.

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