Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-27

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 6.0)

The two maps illustrate the current layout of the southwest airport and show the proposed redevelopment plan for the same site in the future.

Overall, it is clear that the area will undergo significant changes. The walkways will be removed and replaced with a skytrain. In addition, several new facilities such as a drop-off zone, a ATM, a car hire and a skytrain facility will be introduced.

At present, the area is quite simple. In the northwest part, there are eight gates, from 1 to 8, and walkways are siatuated in the middle, which are connected to each other. In the center, there is security, passport control and customs sections. In the sourthern part, there are two terminals. In the departure area, there is a check-in counter, and a cafe, whereas the arrivals area has no facilities.

According to the proposed plan, the airport area will undergo significant transformation. The walkways will be dmolished and replaced with skytrain facility and the number of gates will be increased from 8 to 18. On the arrivals side, a cafe, an ATM, and a car hire facility will be added. In the departure area, shops and a drop-off area will be constructed. However, a security, a passport control, and a customs will be unchnaged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student provides a generally accurate summary of the changes shown in the maps, successfully identifying key features such as the increase in the number of gates from 8 to 18, the addition of the skytrain, and the new facilities like the café, ATM, and car hire. However, there are a few minor inaccuracies or missed nuances; for instance, the student states that the walkways will be removed entirely, whereas the plan shows them replaced/extended into a Y-shaped concourse featuring a skytrain. Furthermore, the arrival area currently has passport control and customs, but the student claims it has 'no facilities'. The overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the main direction of change well. Overall, the response addresses all parts of the prompt adequately, earning a Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay is organized into four logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overall summary, a description of the current layout, and a description of the future plan. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different parts of the visual data. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, such as 'At present', 'In the center', and 'According to the proposed plan'. However, some cohesive links and referencing feel slightly mechanical or repetitive ('In the departure area... In the departure area...'). Additionally, there are minor cohesion slip-ups, but overall progression is clear throughout, making this a solid Band 7 performance.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, using terms such as 'layout', 'redevelopment plan', 'facilities', and 'transformation'. However, there are some noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'a drop-off zone' (bag drop is shown), 'a ATM' (grammatical slip with article, should be 'an'), and spelling/typographical errors like 'siatuated', 'sourthern', 'dmolished', and 'unchnaged'. Less common items are attempted, but the frequency of spelling and word-choice errors keeps the vocabulary score at a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The two maps illustrate...' and 'The walkways will be demolished and replaced with skytrain facility and the number of gates will be increased...'. There is good use of the future passive voice ('will be constructed', 'will be added'). However, grammatical errors occur with article usage ('a security, a passport control, and a customs' should be uncountable nouns without articles) and missing prepositions or determiners ('with skytrain facility'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, allowing the response to secure a Band 6.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.