Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The illustration gives information about the site of an airport now and after the redevelopment that how it looks. Overall, before the redevelopment of the airport, it had a specific number of facilities there, but after the redeveloping it increases number of facilities there
It is quite evident from the current situation that the airport is a bit specific; according to that, it has almost eight gates to enter the airport, it has a walkway for passengers, as they have to walk to reach security checks and passport control; it has a cafe in it for refreshment, it has check-in right after passport control, it has only one way for passenger arrivals and the same for departures.
Furthermore, after redevelopment, it has increased the number of gates to 18; it includes a shop; it includes bag drops; it includes a number of cafes; it includes an ATM as well; it includes a number of arrival and departure ways; it also includes a car hiring point after arrival.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the two maps, noting the increase in gates from 8 to 18 and the addition of facilities such as shops, bag drops, cafés, ATMs, and car hire. However, the overview is extremely basic and grammatically flawed ('after the redeveloping it increases number of facilities there'). Furthermore, several spatial details are misinterpreted or inaccurately described, such as stating that the airport 'has almost eight gates to enter the airport'. The response meets the minimum length requirement of 150 words (at 167 words), but the task is only partially fulfilled due to weak overview development and imprecise reporting of spatial relationships.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is divided into three paragraphs (introduction, current layout, and future layout), attempting a logical structure. However, paragraphing is unconventional, with the second paragraph running onto multiple lines awkwardly. Cohesive devices are repetitive and mechanical, relying heavily on clauses beginning with 'it has' or 'it includes' (e.g., 'it has a walkway... it has a cafe... it includes a shop; it includes bag drops; it includes a number of cafes'). Progression within the body paragraphs lacks smooth transitions, resulting in a somewhat list-like presentation of map features.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive ('has', 'includes', 'number of'). There are awkward word choices and collocations, such as 'redeveloping' used as a noun ('after the redeveloping') and 'car hiring point' instead of 'car hire'. While the student manages to name some basic airport features ('gates', 'walkway', 'security checks', 'passport control', 'ATM'), the lexical range is narrow and inadequate for a higher band, reflecting limited flexibility and precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many sentences contain fundamental grammatical errors. For instance, the opening sentence contains a severe syntax error ('...and after the redevelopment that how it looks'). There is also heavy misuse of semicolons and punctuation in the final paragraph, where a string of clauses is linked inappropriately ('...it includes a shop; it includes bag drops; it includes a number of cafes; it includes an ATM as well...'). Frequent errors in article usage, prepositional phrases, and verb forms cause some difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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