Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-11

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 6.5)

The maps demonstrate the southwest airport now and after redevelopment in the next year.

Overall, it is evident that more facilities will be provided in the future plan along with building more gates. Besides this, major development will take place in the northern region of an airport.

To commence with the current airport design. The Airport currently has a separate region for departures and arrivals. In the departure region there is a cafe and check-in point. Furthermore it has security and passport control, whereas in the arrivals area, passport control and customs sections are present. Moving further, there are 8 gates and people can travel from one location to another in a vertical direction using a walkway.

However, the redevelopment plan has numerous changes. In the arrivals region, various facilities will be provided such as a cafe, ATM and car hire. Besides this, in the departures part bag drop facility and new shops are built. Nevertheless, major change will be in the number of gates for flights and its shape will change from rectangle to X design, and the number gates will rise from 8 to 18 and a walkway will be replaced with a sky train.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You give a clear overview of the main changes: expanded facilities, a larger gate area and redevelopment to the north. The comparison of gates increasing from 8 to 18 and the replacement of the walkway by a sky train accurately captures important features. You also report several additions in arrivals and departures. Some details, however, are general or incomplete: the new concourse is described as an “X design” rather than a Y-shape, and the shops’ position and the relocation of check-in are not explained. The current layout could also be described more precisely, including the separate locations of check-in, café and security. More exact spatial comparisons and fuller coverage of these changes would strengthen an otherwise relevant, clearly focused summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview and two body paragraphs, moving logically from the current airport to the proposed plan. This makes the comparison easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall” and “However” help signal the structure. There is some overuse or imprecision in linking expressions: “Besides this” appears repeatedly, while “To commence with” and “Moving further” add little to the progression. The final paragraph also groups several changes into long sentences, so the locations and relationships between features are less clear. Use a wider range of natural transitions and organise each paragraph around specific areas or types of change to make the progression more precise and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the plans, including “redevelopment,” “facilities,” “passport control,” “customs” and “vertical direction.” These terms help communicate the main changes, and the meaning is generally clear. However, some choices are imprecise or awkward for map description: “X design” does not accurately name the Y-shaped concourse, and “new shops are built” is less suitable for a planned development. Phrases such as “separate region” and “number gates” also show limited control of collocation or word form. Aim for precise spatial language and natural planning vocabulary, such as “concourse,” “located,” “added” and “the number of gates.” This would improve flexibility and accuracy without requiring more elaborate wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “whereas” and “along with,” and most sentences communicate the intended meaning. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the number gates will rise” needs “the number of gates,” while “its shape will change” has an unclear reference and would be clearer as “the concourse’s shape will change.” In “new shops are built,” the tense does not fit as naturally as a future form such as “will be added.” There are also occasional article and phrasing issues, as in “in a vertical direction.” Review noun phrases, reference words and tense consistency when describing future plans. Greater accuracy across these structures would make the response more controlled.

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