Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-12

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 given illustrations represents a plan of redevelopments prepared for the Southwest Airport next year. Although, it shows the current condition of the facility.

The first picture illustrates the structure being relevant nowadays. The building has two separate entrances. One is provided for departures, and second for arrivals. In addition, the departures side has check-in post and a café for people. Further, there are one walkway, it goes only on the right side of the airport, which, perhaps can be only convinient for leaving individuals. Thus, there appears to be many issues needed to be fixed.

Therefore, the picture number two shows well-developed plan as a solution. Compared to the original structure, owners will not only repair, but also add many different features. As it was mentioned before, it's not really convenient for all of the travelers to stay there after a long flight. Hence, there was added a car hire, an ATM and a cafee. The Atm can be really helpful for money exchanges and the cafe is a great way of relaxing while drinking a cup of coffee. Departures side also got an upgrade, a few shops were included. It might provide customers with clothes, electrical devices or pharmacies.

As a result this new plan is expected to be fascinating, the rating of the Southwest Airport must go higher after turning the plan into reality!

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the two stages and mention several genuine additions, including car hire, an ATM, a café and shops. However, the response only minimally reports the plans: it gives little accurate detail about the airport’s layout or the main changes. For example, the current concourse and its gates are not described, and the redevelopment’s most significant feature—the Y-shaped extension increasing capacity from 8 to 18 gates—is omitted. Some claims are unsupported or inaccurate: the walkway is not simply on the right side, and the text invents problems with convenience and predicts a higher airport rating. Focus on a factual overview of the major structural changes, then compare the locations and functions shown in each plan rather than speculating about benefits or customer services not specified by the map.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, a paragraph about the current airport, a paragraph about the proposed plan, and a concluding sentence. Time and comparison signals such as “nowadays,” “Compared to the original structure,” and “As a result” help connect the stages. However, progression is weakened because the description is mixed with speculation and evaluation, and some links do not clearly express the map’s relationships. For instance, “Therefore” introduces the second plan without a clear logical connection, while “As it was mentioned before” refers to an inconvenience that has not been established accurately. Organise the body around the two plans or group changes by area, and use concise location-based links such as “in the departures area” and “in contrast.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing facilities, including “entrances,” “check-in,” “walkway,” “car hire,” and “shops,” and you attempt more varied expressions such as “redevelopments” and “structure.” However, word choice and collocation are often imprecise for a map report. “Check-in post” is not a natural label for the counter, and “repair” does not accurately describe the planned expansion and additions. “Fascinating” and “rating … must go higher” are evaluative rather than useful descriptive language. There are also spelling errors, including “convinient” and “cafee.” Build a more precise set of terms for spatial changes—such as “extend,” “relocate,” and “be situated”—and use neutral language to report what the plans show.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “Although” and a comparison beginning “Compared to the original structure.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and agreement recur. “The given illustrations represents” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “Although, it shows” is an incomplete and incorrectly punctuated dependent clause. In “there are one walkway,” the verb does not agree with the singular noun, and “there was added a car hire” uses an awkward passive construction. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “and second for arrivals” and the comma splice in the final sentence. Practise complete clauses, consistent tense for proposed changes, and accurate agreement before adding more complex structures.

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