Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plan below gives the information of the site of an southwest airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Overall, it is evident that many new services are planned for future, and number of gates will be increased.
At present, upon passing through the departures gate, only check-in area is visible on right side, while the cafe is located at the opposite side. However,after redevelopment there will be a bag drop area opposite the check-in area with the cafe situated below. Additionally they have planned to make some shops after security and passport control.
Moreover, the future airport includes new services, in the arrival area such as cafes,ATMs,and car hire services which are currently unavailable. Currently,the airport has 8 gates accessible by walkway.After redevelopment the number of gates increased by 18 gates and sky trains are planned to transport for passengers for these gates.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response meets the task requirements only partially, partly because the word count is 13 words short of the 150-word minimum (with 11 words copied directly from the prompt discounted). While the overview attempts to highlight general changes, some key features are under-developed or inaccurately reported. For instance, the student states that 'the number of gates increased by 18 gates' rather than explaining that they expand from 8 to 18. Furthermore, some spatial descriptions are vague, such as mentioning that shops will be made after security and passport control without fully detailing their exact placement as shown on the plan. To reach a higher band, the response must meet the minimum length requirement, extend the main features with clearer comparisons between the current and future layouts, and avoid misinterpreting data points.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays some organization with a basic division into paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs discussing specific areas. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression between the sections, making the flow somewhat mechanical. Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes repetitively or inaccurately, such as the transition 'Moreover, the future airport includes new services, in the arrival area...' Punctuation and referencing could also be managed more smoothly to guide the reader effortlessly through the comparisons. To improve coherence, you should ensure that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one with a wider and more natural variety of transitional phrases, ensuring that referencing between the current and future plans remains transparent throughout.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, featuring basic terms such as 'cafe', 'shops', 'gates', and 'walkway'. There are noticeable lexical inadequacies and word choice issues, such as saying 'gives the information of the site' instead of 'provides information about the layout of the site', and stating that sky trains are planned 'to transport for passengers' rather than 'to transport passengers'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy. To achieve a higher band, you should incorporate a more precise range of vocabulary related to diagrams and spatial changes, avoiding awkward phrasing and ensuring correct word forms and collocations are used consistently.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The text demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms that often contain errors. There are frequent grammatical lapses, such as missing articles ('on right side', 'below the check-in area'), punctuation errors (spacing issues around commas and periods like 'However,after' and 'Currently,the'), and prepositional errors. Although meaning is generally clear despite these errors, they occur frequently across the response. To lift this criterion, you need to employ a wider variety of complex structures with greater control, paying closer attention to article usage, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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