Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The given plans discribes the airport site what it be look like after the re-developement of the airport in up coming year.

Overall, the old plan looks very simple and small as compared to the new plan, actually the new one look very gigantic. The number of rooms are more after the development.

At the beginning, the layout of current building is smaller than the new structure. In the new plan their are more departure lanes then the current version and also their are multiple arrival lanes. However, the current building serves only a single departure lane and also it include one arrival lane.

On the other hand, in the previous structure their is no bag drop center, where passanger reclaim theirs bags, suit cases and hand carry. In the new layout their are mult

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The student attempts to describe the main features of the airport plans, contrasting the current layout with the proposed redevelopment. However, the response falls significantly short of the mandatory 150-word minimum, stopping abruptly at 135 words, which incurs a direct penalty. Furthermore, the content fails to cover key spatial changes and specific functional details adequately, relying instead on vague generalisations such as 'the new one look very gigantic.' Misunderstandings also occur, such as the claim that a bag drop center is for passengers to reclaim bags, which misinterprets standard airport terminology. To achieve a higher band, the writer must ensure the word count exceeds the threshold, present a more comprehensive overview, and report specific features accurately without inaccurate assumptions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is divided into short paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, logical progression is weak and abrupt. Transitional phrases like 'At the beginning' and 'On the other hand' are misused or unnatural in the context of describing static spatial plans. Paragraphing is fragmented, with the final paragraph trailing off unfinished mid-sentence due to the word count cutoff. Referencing and cohesive devices are rudimentary, often failing to guide the reader smoothly through the comparative analysis of the two map panels. Overall organization shows basic structure, but cohesion is mechanical and incomplete.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive ('simple', 'small', 'big', 'new', 'plan'). There are several spelling and word-form errors, such as 'discribes', 're-developement', 'up coming', 'passanger', and 'theirs'. Less common lexical items are attempted incorrectly or confused, such as the incorrect definition implied for bag drop. The range of vocabulary is severely limited and inadequate for a standard academic task, frequently causing strain and ambiguity for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

Grammatical control is weak, featuring multiple basic errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and prepositional usage. Examples include 'what it be look like', 'their are more departure lanes then', and 'it include one arrival lane'. Sentence structures are predominantly simple or attempted complex structures marked by frequent errors ('the layout of current building is smaller than the new structure'). Punctuation is basic, and the incomplete final sentence further disrupts grammatical integrity. Errors occur across almost every sentence, significantly impeding clear communication.

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

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