Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-25
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)
given drawings of the SouthWest Airport show the modification after reconstruction till next year. Overall, there are two main sections to be upgraded, the first one is the main Airport building, and the second one is the terminal capacity.
In main building, according to drawings there will be many new things to be introduced and rearrangement also. first of all, the number of entrance and exit gates will be twice at the both sides arrivals and departures respectivilty. Analysing the drawings, In departure section, check in facility will be at right side instead of left, and a Bag drop service at the left corner, and cafe will be opposite to left corner compare to right side at upper corner. Although security and passport control area will remain unaltered. Morever, at arrivals side there will be new space for Car hire. ATM and cafe has been located in the drawing at the right side in Arrivals section. Passport control and customs will not change at arrival side too.
At terminal side, they will add sky train service due to increase in the terminal side. The number of airplanes traffice capacity surged to 18 from 8. The new modern Y shape of terminal looks more aesthetic.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by describing the overall changes to Southwest Airport, noting the transformation of the main building and the expansion of the terminal. An overview is provided in the introduction. However, the selection of features lacks clarity and precision in several places. For instance, the claim that the number of entrance and exit gates will double is inaccurate based on the visual data. Furthermore, some spatial descriptions are vague or awkward, such as describing the café position and the movement of check-in facilities. While the main structural changes—such as the Y-shaped terminal expansion, the increase in gate capacity from 8 to 18, and the addition of the sky train, car hire, and shops—are partially captured, the development of ideas is limited and contains minor misinterpretations of the visual evidence. Consequently, the response fulfills the basic requirements but falls short of a higher band due to inaccuracies in reporting specific features.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is arranged with an introduction and two body paragraphs, attempting to separate the main building modifications from the terminal changes. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed and lacks a smooth flow. Cohesive devices are used minimally and occasionally inappropriately, such as 'first of all' followed by repetitive use of 'Analysing the drawings' and 'at the left corner, and cafe will be opposite'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical structuring of sentences within paragraphs is weak. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'due to increase in the terminal side' where the exact meaning is obscured. Overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow the general narrative, but mechanical cohesion and faulty referencing pull this criterion into the lower-middle bands.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on general terms like 'new things', 'space', and 'side'. There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'modification after reconstruction till next year' instead of 'next year', 'airplanes traffice capacity' instead of 'aircraft capacity', and 'Y shape of terminal looks more aesthetic' which is overly subjective for an academic task. Less common vocabulary items are attempted—such as 'rearrangement', 'unaltered', and 'surged'—but their usage is marred by spelling and collocation errors. While the language is minimally adequate to convey the general message, errors in word choice and spelling cause some difficulty for the reader and restrict the lexical score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak throughout. There are numerous grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in departure section', 'at arrivals side'), incorrect prepositions ('at the both sides arrivals and departures'), and faulty subject-verb agreement or tense usage ('ATM and cafe has been located', 'drawings show... is'). Punctuation is also problematic, with run-on sentences and a lack of proper capitalisation at the beginning of sentences and proper nouns ('SouthWest'). Complex structures attempted are frequently flawed, leading to frequent errors that impede smooth reading and obscure meaning at times.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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