Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 plans illustrats the site of an airport now and how it will look after upgrade in futur.

Overall, there is a significant changes in future, then site look stunning after upgrade, now site has walkway at top with 8 gates but in upcoming year it replace with Sky train with 18 gates. In contrast, security passport control and passport control custom will be remain same.

Recently, airport has two walkway after development its convert into Sky train with two pathways and update the gates from 8 to 18. Then install some shops acroos the security pannel in future. Security passport control and passport control custom reamin same.

In contrast, currently departures has a Check-in in north corner and a cafe in west corner, however after upgrading in north corner Check-in convert into Bag drop, cafe move in west corner Check-in replace the cafe. Futhermore, Arrivals will be upgrade next year, now their is no infrastcture but next year install a cafe, ATM and car hire.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main transformation: the concourse expands from 8 to 18 gates and gains a sky train, while shops and new arrival facilities are added. You also compare the current and planned layouts, so the response addresses the task and gives a relevant overview. However, some details are mislocated or unclear. The current café is on the right side of Departures, not the west corner, and the future check-in moves to the inner wall beside Arrivals; it does not replace the café. The future bag drop is on the west wall. The statement that security and passport control remain unchanged is not clearly supported by the plan. More precise reporting of these changes, alongside the accurate overview, would make the account more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, an overview, and further paragraphs comparing the two plans, which gives it some basic organisation. You also use contrast markers such as “Overall” and “In contrast” to signal comparisons. However, progression is difficult to follow because ideas are repeated: the change from 8 to 18 gates and the sky train appears in both the overview and the next paragraph. Some linking words do not clarify the relationship between details, and the final paragraph combines several location changes in a confusing sequence. For example, the sentence beginning “currently departures has a Check-in” makes it hard to track which features belong to the present and which to the future. Grouping current and future features more systematically and using clearer references would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “gates,” “Sky train,” “shops,” “ATM,” and “car hire,” and you attempt to describe change with phrases such as “after development” and “will be upgrade.” This gives you a basic range for the task, but word choice and spelling errors sometimes make the meaning difficult to interpret. “Two walkway” is not an accurate description of the current plan, while “security pannel” and “infrastcture” are misspelled or imprecise. Phrases such as “site look stunning” are also subjective and unsuitable for a factual map summary. Aim for precise location and change vocabulary, such as “is relocated,” “is added,” and “on the western wall,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including comparisons introduced by “however” and “in contrast.” These attempts show some range, but errors in sentence structure and verb forms frequently make relationships between features unclear. For example, “there is a significant changes” has an agreement error, and “it replace with Sky train” lacks the correct passive form. In “passport control custom will be remain same,” the verb construction is also faulty. Articles, plurals, and tense choices need more consistent control. Practise forming clear present-versus-future comparisons, for example, “The café is currently on the right; after redevelopment, it will be in the bottom-left corner.”

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.