Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-05

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 6.0)

The picture illustrates the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

Overall, the southwest airport will undergo significant changes, with several new facilities added. The most important change is that the number of gates is expanded, and a sky train is also installed between the gates. Some other facilities are also provided, like an ATM, car hire, and a backdrop area.

The major change is that the number of gates is expanded from 8 to 18, and a sky train is installed between them. Furthermore, on the northwest side, shops are added, and the security passport control remains in the same place. On the east side, check-in is replaced by bag drop, and another cafe is added on the southwest wall; check-in is moved to the middle of the airport. On the east side of the airport, passport control and customs remain in the same place, and a cafe and an ATM are added, along with a new car hire area in the southeast of the airport.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all main features of the airport's layout before and after redevelopment, meeting the criteria for a solid score. You have selected key changes such as the expansion of the gates from 8 to 18, the addition of the sky train, and the rearrangement of facilities like check-in, bag drop, and the car hire area. However, some areas feel slightly repetitive between the overview and the body paragraphs, meaning certain details are a bit under-developed rather than fully expanded with precise locational context. To reach a higher level, you could integrate the spatial relationships more cohesively across the map rather than listing changes part by part, ensuring every feature is reported with absolute precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

Your writing has a coherent overall arrangement, and you have made an effort to organise the information logically by grouping general changes in the second paragraph and specific locational shifts in the third. However, paragraphing could be improved, as the separation of ideas is somewhat mechanical. For instance, the transition between sentences relies heavily on basic sequencing words and repetitive expressions like "on the east side" and "on the northwest side". Referencing is occasionally unclear, which prevents the essay from achieving a smoother, more natural progression. Better use of referencing pronouns and a wider variety of cohesive devices would elevate this criterion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like "redevelopment", "significant changes", and facility names directly from the prompt. There are, however, some awkward word choices and spelling issues, such as "backdrop area" instead of the correct term "bag drop" shown on the diagram. You also attempt less common vocabulary, but this is sometimes marred by minor inaccuracies in collocation or phrasing. To reach the next band, you should aim to use more precise lexical items related to maps and spatial changes, and ensure exact spelling of key diagram labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You display a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as passive constructions like "is expanded", "is installed", and "is replaced". There are some grammatical errors, but they rarely impede communication. For example, your verb tenses are generally handled well to describe future changes ("will undergo", "will look"), though occasional prepositional slips occur. To push into higher bands, incorporate a wider variety of advanced sentence structures with consistent error-free control, especially when comparing multiple spatial features simultaneously.

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

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