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 illustrate the site of the southwest airport now and after the development in the next year.
Overall, the redeveloped airport will have extended gates that is shaped as a y and there will be much more possibilities within the airport than now.
At the moment, the airport has a check-in area, a cafe, a walkway and eight gates, as well as depatures and arrivals. Furthermore, above the cafe there is a security ans passport control room. Next to this room is a passport control and customs area.
However, after the development, the security and passport control block remains the same with shops above it. In addition, the gates will be extended by ten more gates, shaped as the letter y. The walkway is going to be replaced by a sky train and in the airport are much more shops, such as the ATM, car hire and bag drop.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response covers all the main features of the maps, successfully contrasting the current layout with the redeveloped version. The student notes the extension of the concourse into a Y-shape, the introduction of a sky train replacing the walkway, and additions to the retail and service areas such as bag drop, car hire, and an ATM. However, the overview is slightly simplistic (
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The text is logically organised into four paragraphs representing an introduction, an overall summary, and two body paragraphs detailing 'now' and 'after' features. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader (e.g., 'At the moment', 'However', 'In addition'), though referencing and paragraphing can sometimes feel slightly mechanical. Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a map comparison task, including terms like 'redeveloped', 'concourse', 'passport control', and 'customs'. There are some awkward collocations or lexical inaccuracies, such as 'much more possibilities' instead of 'facilities', and a few typographical slips ('ans' for 'and'). Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, placing this firmly at a Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The plans illustrate the site... and after the development...' and 'the gates will be extended by ten more gates, shaped as the letter y.' Grammatical errors are present, including subject-verb agreement issues ('gates that is shaped') and minor punctuation slips. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the overall grammatical control is adequate for a Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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