Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-01

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 compares the current site of an Southwest Airport to the future look after redevelopment next year.

Overall, the airport will undergo significant redevelopment, including the expansion of gate area, the construction of two new walkways connected by a sky train, and the addition of the several passenger facilities, while the departures and arrivals areas will remain largely unchanged.

At the terminal building, the departures and arrivals areas will remain largely unchanged, with security, passport control and customs staying in their current locations. However, a bag-drop facility will be added beside the check-in area. In addition, a new cafe will be introduced in the departures section, while an ATM and a car-hire service will be added to the arrivals area. Furthermore, a row shops will be constructed between the terminal building and the walkway heading to the gates.

The most significant changes will place in the gate area. The existing walkway will be replaced by two Y-shaped walkways, increasing the number of gates from 8 to 18. In addition, a sky train will be installed to connect the terminal building with the extended gate areas, providing access to all the new gates.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main features of the airport before and after redevelopment. In the opening, the writer correctly identifies the key transformations, such as the expansion of the gate area and the introduction of a sky train and new passenger facilities. The body paragraphs are well-structured, contrasting the unchanged terminal zones with the new additions like the bag-drop facility, shops, and the Y-shaped walkways increasing the gates from 8 to 18. However, the overview and details show a minor tendency to over-generalise or omit precise spatial relationships in places, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band. For example, stating that departures and arrivals remain largely unchanged overlooks some notable internal rearrangements, though the major features are generally covered well.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped sensibly, starting with a concise introduction and overview, followed by a paragraph detailing terminal alterations, and concluding with the significant changes to the gate area. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to guide the reader through the data, employing transition markers such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'In addition'. However, paragraphing and referencing show occasional mechanical tendencies. For instance, the transition between discussing the terminal building and the gate area could flow more smoothly. Additionally, cohesive ties such as 'The most significant changes will place in the gate area' contain minor prepositional lapses that slightly interrupt the natural cohesion of the text, placing the response firmly at this level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items related to maps and airport infrastructure, such as 'redevelopment', 'passenger facilities', 'bag-drop facility', and 'Y-shaped walkways'. Word choices are generally appropriate for conveying spatial changes and additions. However, there are some minor lexical errors and awkward phrasing that prevent a higher score, such as 'The plans compares' (agreement error) and 'a row shops' (omission of a preposition). Furthermore, collocation is occasionally slightly unnatural, as seen in 'changes will place' instead of 'changes will take place'. Despite these minor slips, the vocabulary remains sufficient to communicate the main features clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure through the use of subordinate clauses and participial phrases, such as 'including the expansion of gate area' and 'providing access to all the new gates'. There are several error-free sentences, particularly when describing straightforward additions. However, a cluster of grammatical inaccuracies persists throughout the text, including article omissions ('expansion of gate area', 'addition of the several passenger facilities') and prepositional errors ('site of an Southwest Airport'). Punctuation is generally sound, and while these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication, reflecting typical control associated with this level.

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

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