Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-26

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 8.5)

The maps illustrate the current layout of Southwest Airport and its planned infrastructural configuration following a major redevelopment project next year.

Overall, the airport will undergo a substantial expansion, transitioning from a small regional facility into a larger, more modernized terminal. The primary upgrades involve a massive extension of the boarding concourse, a significant increase in the number of boarding gates, the implementation of a internal transit system, and the addition of multiple commercial and transit amenities.

At present, the terminal features a straightforward layout divided symmetrically between departures on the left and arrivals on the right. The departures section contains a check-in desk and a café, leading into security and passport control. Once through, travelers enter a narrow concourse equipped with just 8 boarding gates. The arrivals side contains passport control and customs, leading out to a simple exit area.

Following the upcoming redevelopment, the terminal's capacity and services will be greatly enhanced. On the departures side, a second check-in area will be added, alongside a new car hire desk and a row of shops positioned right after the security checkpoint. The arrivals terminal will also expand to include an ATM and a dedicated car rental service station at the far right.

The most dramatic transformation occurs at the boarding concourse. The original vertical walkway will be replaced by a massive Y-shaped concourse, exploding the total number of boarding gates from 8 to 18. Gates 1 through 8 will line the left branch, while gates 11 through 18 will line the right branch. To facilitate efficient passenger movement across this significantly lengthened distance, a centralized internal sky-train or walkway system will be installed down the spine of the new structure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 9.0

The student has provided an exceptionally thorough and well-developed response to this Academic Task 1 map prompt. All key changes between the current layout of Southwest Airport and the proposed redevelopment are accurately identified and clearly reported. The response features a clear, comprehensive overview outlining the major transformation from a regional facility into an expanded, modernized terminal. Key features—such as the Y-shaped concourse expansion, the increase in boarding gates from 8 to 18, the addition of the sky train, and new commercial or passenger amenities like shops, car hire, and ATMs—are fully covered and well-contrasted. The selection of data is highly accurate, and comparisons are integrated naturally throughout the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Cohesion and logical organisation are managed with a high degree of skill. The response is divided into logical paragraphs that trace the information methodically: an introductory overview, a description of the current layout, and subsequent paragraphs detailing the departures, arrivals, and concourse transformations. Cohesive devices such as 'At present', 'Following the upcoming redevelopment', and 'The most dramatic transformation' guide the reader smoothly through the comparison without appearing mechanical or repetitive. Referencing throughout the text is clear and precise, ensuring an effortless progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The student demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible lexical resource that is well-suited to describing architectural and spatial changes. Advanced vocabulary items and collocations such as 'infrastructural configuration', 'substantial expansion', 'straightforward layout', and 'centralized internal sky-train' are used with precision and natural control. There are only very rare or occasional minor infelicities, such as writing 'a internal' instead of 'an internal' (which falls under grammar), but the overall lexical control easily meets the requirements for a high band score, showing an impressive range of less common items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.5

A wide variety of complex sentence structures is used with a high level of accuracy throughout the response. The writer employs sophisticated participial phrases and subordinate clauses effectively, as seen in sentences like 'The maps illustrate the current layout... and its planned infrastructural configuration following a major redevelopment project next year.' The majority of sentences are completely error-free, and grammatical control over tense changes (present simple for current layout, future/modal structures for planned changes) is handled flawlessly. There is a single minor typographical oversight ('a internal' instead of 'an internal'), but this does not detract from the overall exceptional standard.

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