Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-23
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 6.0)
The maps illustrate the current layout of Southwest airport along with the proposed structural development after next year.
Overall, the airport will undergo a vast major expansion, marked by increased number of gates, ATM, Sky train, bag drop and a car hire area. Meanwhile, security passport control and passport control customs will be remained at the their existing positions.
Regarding the lower half, both the departures and arrivals halls will feature double doors in place of currently exiting single door entrance. Additionaly, check-in area will be moved to the right side to accomodate the bag drop area, while the cafe will relocated to the left. In arrivals, where there is no single services provided right now, a new cafe, ATM and a car hire station will be installed.
Looking at the northern side, the concourse will be dramatically expanded to the Y-shaped structure from a single linear hall with addition of 10 more gates. Futhermore, Sky train will be replaced at the centre by removing the walkway area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of Southwest airport now and after the proposed redevelopment next year. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the major expansions such as the increased number of gates, the introduction of a Sky train, and the addition of a car hire area. Key spatial relationships and changes are accurately described, such as the Y-shaped expansion of the concourse and the additions in the arrivals and departures areas. While minor details like the exact gate numbers are summarised rather than exhaustively listed, the response fully addresses the prompt's requirements and provides well-selected comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by specific details of the lower half and northern side of the airport. Progression is generally clear throughout. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', 'Regarding the lower half', and 'Looking at the northern side' are used effectively to guide the reader through the maps. However, there are some minor cohesive awkwardnesses, such as referencing 'the their existing positions' and slight mechanical grouping in places, but overall the structure supports clear communication.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items related to map descriptions such as 'proposed structural development', 'Y-shaped structure', and 'dramatically expanded'. There are, however, some noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as writing 'a vast major expansion', 'security passport control and passport control customs will be remained at the their existing positions', and 'Sky train will be replaced at the centre' instead of placed or installed. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including prepositional phrases and relative clauses. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, such as missing articles ('increased number of gates, ATM, Sky train'), incorrect passive voice usage ('will be remained', 'will relocated'), and spelling mistakes ('Additionaly', 'accomodate', 'Futhermore'). Nevertheless, the majority of sentences are understandable, and the errors do not impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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