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 diagrams compares the current site of an airport with the plan after expanding its capacities and facilities next year.

It is evident that the airport is too congested and lagging a lot of facilities now. Conversely, the plan after redevelopment reveals a more functional and practical layout that includes various activities, inclusive features and so on.

The present airport has only one entry and exit way. It lacks other necessary services too. Furthermore, there are only a cafe and check-in counter. It contains a one-lane way towards the runway and has only eight gates. Since the lane is extreamly short and includes just a walkway, there is no option rather than walking.

On the contrary, the future layout is more spacious, constituting necessary services. Initially, it doubles its departures and arrivals, which is more convenient. Following this, it adds an ATM, a section for bag drop, new shops and a car hiring counter ,making the airport more useful to the passengers. Moreover, it expands the further area and divides it into two lanes. It also adds a sky train facility and increases the number of gates to 18, serving the passenger more than before.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by comparing the current airport layout with the proposed redevelopment plan. It presents a clear overview outlining the main changes, such as increased capacity, additional facilities, and an expanded concourse. Key features like the new shops, bag drop, sky train, and the extension of gates to 18 are highlighted and compared against the current single-lane configuration. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed, and certain details are treated with generalisations rather than precise data reporting (for instance, describing the current layout as having only 'one entry and exit way' when the plan shows distinct departures and arrivals entrances). To reach a higher level, the response would need to integrate more specific feature tracking and fully develop every highlighted comparison without relying on informal phrasing like 'and so on'.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from an introduction to the general layout, followed by details of the present airport, and concluding with the future redevelopment features. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sections of the task. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or relies on overly simplistic sequencing devices such as 'Initially' and 'Following this', which do not always logically fit a spatial description of a map. Referencing is generally clear, but some transitions between sentences feel abrupt. To improve further, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible variety of cohesive devices to smoothly guide the reader through spatial comparisons between the two diagrams.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic comparisons using terms such as 'layout', 'spacious', 'redevelopment', and 'facilities'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but this is occasionally marred by awkward word choice or collocation errors, such as 'lagging a lot of facilities' instead of lacking facilities, 'car hiring counter' instead of car hire, and spelling slips like 'extreamly'. These minor lexical inaccuracies do not impede communication, but they restrict the score to the current level. To achieve a higher band, the student must demonstrate a wider, more precise range of vocabulary and collocation suited to describing architectural plans and spatial changes, while eliminating spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as relative clauses ('that includes various activities') and introductory participial phrases ('making the airport more useful'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The diagrams compares') and awkward prepositional use ('no option rather than walking'). Despite these errors, the sentences remain largely comprehensible and rarely impede communication. To move higher up the scale, the writer needs to produce a greater frequency of error-free complex sentences and exercise tighter control over grammatical patterns and articles when describing map features.

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

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