Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-30

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 6.5)

The plans illustrates the current day layout of Southwest Airport and its proposed layout in the future.

Overall, the major additions planned for the airport are to increase the number of gates and to facilitate commute within the airport as well as to other areas from the airport by adding a sky train and a counter for car hires. The newer plan is such that the layout size would be larger than its current site.

The present layout is such that the passengers have to walk to different gates from departures or vice versa from gates to arrivals. However, in the proposed plan, with the addition of a sky train, the relative distance that the passengers have to walk would reduce considerably. Currently, the airport has a rectangular arrangement of eight gates, which is planned to be redeveloped to accommodate a total of 15 gates in a Y-shaped formation. Despite adding a sky train, its connection to the newer gates would still be limited. The new plan also includes changes in the location of the cafe, moving it to the left side from the 'Departures' entrance and also has a proposal to move the 'check-in' to the location where the cafe is currently located. An additional bag-drop' area is instead planned in the current location of 'check-in'.

An additional cafe is planned on the 'Arrivals' side of the airport along with an ATM adjacent to it. Finnaly a car hire is also planned to be added as an extension adjacent to the 'Arrivals' entrance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task, providing a clear overview of the main changes and selecting relevant features to report and compare. The response notes the expansion in the number of gates from 8 to 18 (referred to as 15 in the text, which is a minor reading error of the visual data where gates go up to 18, though it captures the general expansion), the introduction of the sky train, the reorganization of check-in and bag drop, and the addition of shops, an ATM, and car hire. The overview is clearly stated in the second paragraph. Ideas are well developed and supported with accurate references to the plans, meeting the requirements of a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text is logically organised with a clear progression from the introduction and overview to the detailed body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sections of the airport. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Instead' are utilised effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons. Referencing is generally clear, though minor mechanical transitions like 'Finnaly' slightly disrupt the flow. Overall, the essay demonstrates a coherent structure that allows the information to be easily followed, fitting the Band 7.0 descriptor well.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task, including terms such as 'redevelopment', 'proposed plan', 'arrangement', and 'extension'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of collocation, though there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'commute within the airport' instead of 'movement' or 'transit', and a spelling error ('Finnaly' instead of 'Finally'). Despite these occasional errors, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning with good precision, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and passive constructions (e.g., 'which is planned to be redeveloped', 'is also planned to be added'). There are some grammatical and punctuation slips, such as the subject-verb agreement issue in the opening sentence ('The plans illustrates') and minor phrasing awkwardness ('The newer plan is such that...'). However, these errors do not impede communication, and there are many error-free sentences throughout the text, placing this criterion comfortably at Band 6.5.

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.