Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-04

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 5.5)

The provided diagram illustrates the to different site of an airport, first one shows that how it looks like at present while second one shows that how it will look like in near future after reconstruction.

Overall, at present, there are 8 gates in total while in near future they will get expanded upto 18 gates.In future, bag drop, ATM, shops, and car hire will be added. Walkway will be changed into skytrain. The entrance for departuare and exit for arrival will be increased from one to two.

After reconstruction, the gates will be two for entrance and exit. In security passport control, there will be an addition of bag drop service while cafe and check-in will remain same but position will be changed. Check-in and bag drop will be opposite to each other, which will be convenient for passengers. In passport control customs, cafe, ATM and car hire will be added for the convenience of people who would have arrived. All of these will be side by side so it would not cause any trouble for arrived people. At present, there is no facility for arrived people as compared to the facilities which will be provided in near future.

Futhuremore, shops will be added between security passport control and sky train service. Right now, the gates are 8 and there is a walkway passage for passengers to enter airplane. In future, the gates will be 18 forming a y shape and there will be sky train , which will take passengers to the airplane or the airport.

In conclusion, its imply that the airport will add many facilities for the passengers and will expand the gates for departure or arrived people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by covering the main features of the airport before and after redevelopment, satisfying the requirements for an overview and making relevant comparisons. For example, the student correctly highlights the expansion of gates from 8 to 18, the introduction of a sky train, and the addition of facilities such as a bag drop, ATM, shops, and car hire. However, some areas are under-developed or lack precision. The description of the layout changes reads somewhat like a narrative list rather than a structured report, and certain comparisons lack detailed spatial context. To reach a higher band, the response would need to integrate the data more fluidly, providing a more polished selection of key trends and a clearer, more comprehensive overview of the spatial reorganisation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a coherent overall arrangement to the essay, and the information is divided into paragraphs that attempt to group related features, such as present versus future facilities and structural alterations. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty. Transitional phrases like 'Futhuremore' are awkwardly integrated, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when the text shifts between describing terminal areas and general gate numbers without smooth signposting. Paragraphing is attempted, but the logical progression from one section to the next lacks seamless flow. To improve, the writer should ensure that cohesive devices are used more flexibly and naturally, and that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one to enhance the overall readability of the report.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common terms related to airport infrastructure, such as 'reconstruction', 'facilities', and 'redevelopment'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as writing 'to different site' instead of 'two different sites', 'departuare', and 'arrived people' instead of 'arriving passengers'. Spelling errors also occur, such as 'Futhuremore' and 'its imply'. These errors do not completely impede communication, but they restrict the response from achieving a higher band. To elevate the lexical score, the writer needs to demonstrate greater precision in word formation and collocation, using items like 'departing passengers' and 'arriving travellers' naturally and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as conditional and relative clauses, as seen in 'for the convenience of people who would have arrived'. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly regarding articles, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions. Examples include 'first one shows that how it looks like', 'the gates will be two for entrance and exit', and 'there will be sky train'. These errors require some effort from the reader to interpret the intended meaning. To reach a higher band, the response must exhibit better control over complex sentence patterns, reduce basic grammatical slips, and ensure greater accuracy in article usage and sentence architecture.

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

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