Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-28

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 map illustrates the structure of an airport at current time and its overall look after the advancement in one year.

Overall, the main sections like security, passport control, and customs are unchanged. The padestrian walk had been converted into bus track following two pathways and addition of almost ten gates.

Firstly, current map demonstrates few highlighted sections with some government control sections. Furthermore, a cafe and checkin area just left side by entering from departures. It has padesterian walk with 8 gates. passport control and customs sections are on the arrival side.

After that development map illustrates the changes from paderstrian walk to public transport. After making some advancement 8 gates are replaced to 18 gates. Abag drop section is replaced with check-in. An addition of Atm will be just right after entering from arrival gate just along with car rentals. At the departure are security control and passport control are at the same location.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the main features of the airport maps, noting key changes such as the extension of gates from 8 to 18, the addition of a sky train, and modifications to facilities like the bag drop and car hire. However, there are notable misinterpretations of the visual data, such as claiming the pedestrian walk had been converted into a 'bus track' and misidentifying parts of the terminal layout. Furthermore, the overview is brief and lacks sufficient detail regarding the overall spatial transformation. Consequently, the response addresses the task only partially, aligning with Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into short paragraphs attempting to sequence information from the current map to the future plan. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions, such as 'After that development map illustrates' and abrupt shifts between details. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, making it difficult to follow the spatial relationships between features. Paragraphing is attempted but lacks the structure needed for clear progression, leading to a Band 5 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and contains frequent spelling and word choice errors, such as 'padestrian' instead of pedestrian, 'advancement' instead of development, and 'checkin' written as a single unspaced word. While the student attempts some less common vocabulary items related to airport infrastructure (e.g., 'passport control', 'customs', 'car rentals'), inaccurate word forms and spelling errors ('paderstrian', 'Abag') strain the reader and restrict the score to Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The student demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and faulty attempts at complex structures (e.g., 'The padestrian walk had been converted into bus track following two pathways and addition of almost ten gates.'). There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles, incorrect prepositions ('just left side by entering'), and tense inconsistencies. These errors cause noticeable difficulty for the reader, placing the performance firmly in Band 4.

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

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