Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-24

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 illustrate the current layout of the area of an airport and show the proposed redevelopment plan for the same site in the future.

Overall, the area shifted from a basic airport to advance airport. The number of gates will be increase in the next plan. While walkway will be removed and replaced with sky train. The number of facilities will be increased like bag drop, ATM system, network of sky train and car hire.

At present, the area is not well facilitated. At arrivalside the area is empty and the passport control customs are located. In the departure side there is cafe area and check-in area and there is also a security passport control system. To the north of the airport the area is allocated for walk and eight gates are exist the

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response falls short of the required 150-word minimum, containing only 135 words, which impacts the overall Task Achievement score. On a content level, the student attempts to summarise the main changes, noting the expansion of gates, the introduction of a sky train, and the addition of facilities such as a bag drop and car hire. However, the overview is extremely simplistic ('shifted from a basic airport to advance airport'), and the description stops abruptly before fully covering the details shown on the maps. Some descriptions are imprecise or contain inaccuracies, such as stating that the walkway will be removed and replaced entirely, when in fact the concourse has been extended into a Y-shape containing a sky train. Overall, the task is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response attempts a basic structure with an introductory sentence and some body details, but it lacks a clear overall progression. The writing is broken up into very short, choppy sentences and isolated paragraphs that hinder the flow of information. Cohesive devices are minimal and basic (e.g., 'While', 'At present'). Furthermore, the text cuts off mid-sentence at the end ('eight gates are exist the'), which disrupts the cohesion and leaves the organisation incomplete. Paragraphing is rudimentary and fails to logically group the comparison between the current and future layouts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive (e.g., 'area', 'airport', 'increased', 'number'). There are notable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'advance airport' instead of 'advanced airport', 'arrivalside', and 'ATM system'. The student attempts a few less common words like 'redevelopment' and 'facilitated', but control is weak. Spelling and word choice errors are noticeable, though they generally do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the basic intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, relying heavily on simple sentence structures and basic subject-verb-object patterns. Attempts at complex sentences often result in structural errors, such as 'The number of gates will be increase' (incorrect verb form) and 'eight gates are exist the' (ungrammatical word order and incomplete sentence). There are frequent errors in tense consistency, prepositions, and word forms. Punctuation is also problematic, particularly with the abrupt termination of the text. These errors require some effort from the reader to decipher.

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