Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The maps compare the current layout of an airport with a proposed future development after an year.

Overall, the airport is planned to undergo substantial redevelopment. The most notable changes are the increase in number of gates, replacement of walkway by skytrain, introduction of new car hire facility and ATM service. However, the arrivals and departures will remain same.

In the first view, Security and Customs responsible for passport control will be remained at the old locations. Checkin will be moved from the West side and will be located at the centre while bag drop service will be introduced at place where checkin was located before.

Currently the airport has 8 gates which are planned to be increased to 18 after development. New proposed development will have the facilities of ATM and Car hire at tje East side of the airport. Now when there is only one cafe at the centre, the number of cafes will be increased to two, one each at the two sections.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by comparing the current and future layouts of Southwest Airport. An appropriate and clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting key changes such as the increase in gates, the replacement of the walkway by a skytrain, and the addition of new facilities like car hire and ATMs, while noting that arrivals and departures generally remain in the same locations. The student accurately reports specific features from the visual data, such as the increase from 8 to 18 gates, the relocation of check-in, and the introduction of bag drop. Although there is a minor typo regarding the preposition ('after an year' instead of 'a year'), the content covers the required elements thoroughly and fulfills the task criteria well, aligning closely with a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory sentence, followed by an overview paragraph, and then moves into specific details regarding the interior terminal changes and the concourse expansion. Cohesive devices are generally used appropriately, with phrases like 'Overall', 'In the first view', and 'Currently' helping to guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction/overview from the detailed body paragraphs. However, paragraphing and logical transitions could be slightly more polished to achieve a higher band, as some sentences feel a bit disjointed. Overall, the organization meets the criteria for Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, using terms such as 'substantial redevelopment', 'replacement', 'introduction', and 'facilities'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices and collocations are slightly unnatural or contain minor errors, such as 'at tje East side' (typographical error) or 'Security and Customs responsible for passport control will be remained at the old locations' (passive voice misuse). Despite these minor errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly without impeding the reader, fitting comfortably into the Band 6.0 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and conditional-like time markers ('Now when there is only one cafe...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing instances, including 'after an year', 'will be remained', and 'at tje East side'. Additionally, missing articles ('increase in number of gates' instead of 'increase in the number of gates') are noticeable. While these errors occur regularly, they do not severely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the information easily. This balance of structures and errors reflects a Band 6.0 performance.

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