Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The picture illustrates the blueprint of the redevelopments that will be done in Southwest Airport after a year. Overall, it is an wonderful upgrade with efficient utilization of space also taking into account about the customer satisfaction and also minimizing any kind of overcrowding in the Airport.

The newer redevelopments includes larger walkways for passengers and increased number of gates in order to reduce overcrowding. Shops are also being added into this aiding customers to purchase things at times of need. Sometimes, due to urgency passengers tend ot forget cash for which atm services are also being introduced along with car hiring centre where passengers could book cars according to their needs and travel. A seperate space is also being added for bag drop to minimize the risk of any kind of luggage confusion. For passengers who are willing to travel by a train , the sky train is being implemented to aid in travelling to the passengers. A cafe is also being established so that passengers could eat their meal and also spend some time enjoying with their loved ones.

Few of the facilities which were present in the airport before redevelopments are the security counter, passport control and customs and check in counter. The numer of walkaways were less so were the gates.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to summarise the main changes shown in the airport maps, noting the extension of the concourse, the addition of shops, a bag drop, a sky train, and car hire. However, the response fails to meet the core requirements of an Academic Task 1 response. Rather than providing an objective data report, the introduction and conclusion rely heavily on personal evaluation and speculation, such as stating 'it is an wonderful upgrade with efficient utilization of space also taking into account about the customer satisfaction'. Furthermore, the description lacks a clear, structured overview of the spatial transformations, and key structural changes—such as the Y-shaped expansion of the gates from 1 to 18 and the relocation of check-in—are described vaguely or incorrectly. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into three short paragraphs, but the paragraphing lacks logical structure, grouping the introduction and a subjective overview into the first paragraph, a list of additions into the second, and pre-existing features into the third. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes awkward, such as 'The newer redevelopments includes' and 'Sometimes, due to urgency passengers tend ot forget cash for which atm services are also being introduced'. Progression within the body paragraph is disjointed, moving randomly between different facilities without establishing a clear spatial or thematic sequence. Referencing is occasionally unclear, hindering the overall flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision, flexibility, and formality expected in an Academic Task 1 response. The student relies on everyday phrasing, such as 'blueprint of the redevelopments', 'purchase things at times of need', and 'enjoying with their loved ones', which sounds more like a General Training letter or personal opinion than a data summary. There are also noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'car hiring centre' instead of 'car hire', and typographical errors like 'ot' instead of 'to'. Uncommon lexical items are attempted but not always used accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and passive structures (e.g., 'facilities which were present', 'a cafe is also being established'). However, grammatical control is weak, with frequent errors that occasionally impede the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The newer redevelopments includes'), incorrect prepositions and phrasing ('taking into account about'), and punctuation slips. Complex structures are often faulty, and the overall density of errors places the response firmly in the band 5 range.

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