Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The illustration gives information about the the design of airport now and how it will look in the coming year after the redevelopment. Overall, today several more places, such as shop and atm are build in the airport.

It is quite evident from the diagram that the site of airport looks small nowadays. The site had divided into two section and their had 8 gates in the airport. Arrivals area was build in the right sit and passport control customs also built in the north east side. Walkway was create in the gates side, security and passport control were set in the north west side. Both cafe and check-in had build in the departures area.

Meanwhile, today the design of airport is grow in size. Several more building and places are build and the trace of sky train is also build in the center of the gates and gates have also developed. ATM and Bag drop are also set in the airport. Shop, cafe and car hire building are build.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The student attempts to describe the changes between the current and future layouts of Southwest Airport, but the response falls short of fully satisfying the task requirements. While some main features are mentioned, such as the addition of shops, an ATM, and a sky train, the overview is extremely basic and lacks detail regarding the specific structural transformation, such as the expansion of the gates from 1 to 18 and the reconfiguration of the terminal. Furthermore, several descriptions are inaccurate or too vague to fully convey the spatial relationships shown in the visual data. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to select and report more comprehensive key features with greater precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The text is divided into three paragraphs, providing a basic structure consisting of an introduction and two body paragraphs. However, the logical progression is weak. Sentences within paragraphs often feel disjointed and lack cohesive ties. For example, phrases like 'Meanwhile, today the design of airport is grow in size' do not smoothly connect the ideas or establish clear relationships between the past/current state and the future development. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, and the overall organization fails to guide the reader effectively through the spatial data.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with frequent word-formation and collocation errors. For instance, the student writes 'are build' instead of 'are built', and uses simple terms like 'places' instead of appropriate geographical or architectural vocabulary. Less common lexical items are attempted unsuccessfully, such as 'the trace of sky train'. Spelling and word choices often strain the reader and reflect a limited lexical range suitable only for a lower band descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

Grammatical control is weak throughout the response. There are frequent, persistent errors in tense selection, passive voice formation, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'the site had divided', 'their had 8 gates', and 'Arrivals area was build'. Simple sentence structures predominate, and attempts at more complex structures are inaccurate. Punctuation is basic, and grammatical errors frequently interfere with clarity, placing this response firmly in the lower bands for grammar.

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

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