Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-02
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 two plans illustrate the current layout of Southwest Airport and proposes redevelopment next year.
Overall, the airport will go under significant expansion, with the number of gates increasing from eight to eighteen. In addition, several new amenities will be introduced, such as SkyTrain, car hire, bag-drop, and ATM. Two more paths for departure and arrival will be introduced.
At present, passengers can enter the departure area and can access café and check-in facilities. There is a rectangular block towards north, surrounded by eight gates and a walkway from gate one to gate four. In arrival area, passengers go through customs and passport control.
Following the redevelopment, the departure area will have new backdrop facility, while check-in and café will be relocated. Shop facility will also be added next to security and passport control. Moreover, the rectangular block will be replaced by Y-shaped block containing eighteen gates. SkyTrain facility will be included inside the block. In the arrivals area, passport control and customs will remain, while a café, an ATM, and a car hire service will be added.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response covers all parts of the task and successfully highlights the key features of the airport's layout before and after redevelopment. The overview successfully identifies the major changes, such as the increase in gates and the addition of new amenities. However, some areas are slightly under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies, such as the mention of 'two more paths for departure and arrival', which misinterprets the spatial changes. To reach a higher band, the response would need to provide a more precise and fully extended description of the spatial shifts without minor interpretive discrepancies.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The information is divided into logical paragraphs, moving smoothly from an introduction and overview to the current layout, and finally to the proposed future changes. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the comparison, such as 'At present' and 'Following the redevelopment'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, contributing to an overall coherent arrangement that makes the report easy to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to successfully describe the physical changes on the maps. There are successful attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'redevelopment', 'expansion', and 'relocated'. However, there are some lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'go under significant expansion' instead of 'undergo', and 'backdrop facility' instead of 'bag-drop facility'. These occasional errors and inaccuracies in word choice prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable command of grammar. Structures such as 'The two plans illustrate...' and 'Following the redevelopment, the departure area will have...' are handled fairly well. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'proposes redevelopment' (which lacks subject-verb agreement with 'plans') and missing articles like 'in arrival area'. Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, aligning well with the expectations of this level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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