Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The two graphs illustrates the plans of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

The southwest airport now is arranged in a tiny place. At first, the departure door is on the left side of our hand and the arrival door is on the right side of our hand. When we enter through the depature door, on the left side, we will see the check-in section then in the right, there's a cafe. Therefore, we will see the passport control center and then the security. After that we will there's a walkway from gate 1 to gate 3 then if we turn around from gate 4 to gate 8 we will come through thr passport control center on another side and then we have to cross the customs. Then its the arrival gate.

But after developement, the architecture will be slightly different. Firstly, at the departures, there's two doors. After entering, on the left side, we will see the cafe and after that there's the bag drop area on the left side and check-in area on the right side. Afterwards, we will came across the passport control area and the security. Then, we will see some shops and later, there,s a long corridor with gate 1 to gate 9 and on the middle, there's two sky trains. Then when we have to go to the arrivals, on the other side, there's gate 10 to gate 18 and then here's a blank space like corridor. Later, we will again come across the passport control center and the customs. After, crossing these there's will be a cafe and an ATM. Then, if we walk straight, there's the arrivals and on the right side, there's car hire place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting a somewhat confused overview of the airport layouts rather than a clear summary of the main features and comparisons. Instead of adopting an objective, analytical tone suitable for an Academic Task 1, the writing relies heavily on informal, personal narration and directional phrases like 'on the left side of our hand' and 'When we enter'. While the student attempts to trace the changes from the current layout to the proposed redevelopment—mentioning the expanded gates, the addition of the sky train, and new facilities like shops and car hire—the information is frequently inaccurate or difficult to follow due to poor data selection. Key features are under-developed, and the lack of a structured overview prevents the response from achieving a higher standing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response shows some organization with a clear division between the current layout and the proposed changes, but there is no clear overall progression. Paragraphing is minimal and poorly managed, as the entire description of each layout is crammed into a single block of text. Cohesive devices are repetitive and often mechanical, heavily relying on basic sequential connectors such as 'Then', 'After that', and 'Later'. Furthermore, referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult for the reader to track spatial relationships across the airport maps. To improve, the student needs to group related information logically into distinct paragraphs and use a wider variety of cohesive links to guide the reader smoothly through the spatial changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, reflecting a basic range that struggles to adequately describe architectural and spatial plans. Words like 'place', 'door', and 'space' are overused where more precise terms such as 'terminal', 'entrance', and 'area' are required. There are also noticeable word-choice and spelling errors, such as 'developement' and 'came across' instead of present tense verbs, which occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. While the student attempts some less common vocabulary related to the task, such as 'redevelopment', 'architecture', and 'passport control', inaccurate collocations and basic phrasing prevent the response from demonstrating the precision and flexibility needed for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and overly convoluted compound constructions linked by coordinating conjunctions. Attempts at complex structures are often faulty, featuring frequent errors in verb tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, such as 'The two graphs illustrates' and 'there's will be'. Punctuation is also weak, with missing commas in introductory clauses and misuse of apostrophes. These frequent grammatical errors cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and stem from a lack of control over complex grammatical patterns.

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