Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The provided plans illustrate the present layout of the airport alongside its planned future expansion.
Overall, the airport will expand significantly as the walkway will be completely transformed into a sky train path, and a great number of gates will be added. The indoor facilities will be upgraded entirely.
Now, the airport has a walkway outside the airport to accommodate the passengers, which is surrounded by eight gates. There is also a check-in and a cafe in the airport compound, while there is only one gate for departures and arrivals.
In the future, there will be 18 gates to accommodate the passengers. In addition, the sky train is also a part of the development to facilitate the public. Shops will be positioned near the northern entrance. Furthermore, two cafes are also part of the upgrade, which are located in both compounds of the airport. In the departure compound, there will be a facility for bag drop and a check-in.
Car hire and an ATM will also be positioned near the eastern boundary of the airport, while other airport official facilities will largely remain the same.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student successfully highlights the main overall changes, noting the expansion of the airport, the increase in the number of gates from 8 to 18, and the introduction of a sky train. Key features such as the shops, cafes, bag drop, ATM, and car hire are generally reported. However, some details are inaccurate or imprecisely located according to the visual data; for instance, stating that the current airport has a walkway outside to accommodate passengers and claiming there is 'only one gate for departures and arrivals' misreads the layout. Furthermore, the description misses the transition of the concourse into a Y-shape with two angled arms. Despite these minor misreadings and omissions, the response provides an acceptable summary of the main features and comparisons, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged into a logical overall structure, beginning with an introduction and clear overview, moving into current features, and concluding with future developments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sections of the maps. Cohesive devices are generally present, such as 'Overall', 'Now', 'In the future', and 'Furthermore', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is mostly clear, although the progression between ideas could be smoother to better link the spatial relationships depicted in the plans. Overall, the essay demonstrates a coherent arrangement that supports the progression of information, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some topic-specific terms like 'expansion', 'facilities', 'conpound', and 'positioned'. There are occasional lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as referring to airport terminal sections as 'compounds' instead of areas or zones, and 'sky train path' instead of a sky train line or route. Spelling is generally accurate, and while the vocabulary range is sufficient to communicate the main points, the lack of more sophisticated lexical items and occasional imprecise word choices prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as relative clauses ('which is surrounded by eight gates', 'which are located in both compounds') and conditional-like time contrasts ('Now, the airport has... In the future, there will be...'). There are some grammatical errors, such as missing articles or slight preposition misuses, but these do not impede communication. The majority of simple sentences are error-free, and complex structures are attempted with reasonable control, making Band 6.0 the most appropriate score for this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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