Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-13

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 illustrate the site of an airport today looks and how it will look after renovation next year.We comparisons the southwest airport now and after development.

Overall, there are many majors changes in the airport after development, such as bag drop, ATM, sky train cars hire etc.

Now the airport is very simple we enter the departures. First, go the check in after that go waiting area , in waiting area airport have a cafe and security passport control check your passport the walkway in now days airport have only 8 gates.

On the other hand, after development the airport of southwest is very advance airport have many other facilities,First, airport improve check-in and enrolled a bag drop function and after development airport have a ATM,and airport introduce sky train and the other faclitie is car hire in future after the development . The major change in the number of gates after development the number of gates is 18.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast between the airport’s current layout and its planned redevelopment, and you report the key increase from 8 gates to 18. You also mention several new facilities, including the bag-drop area, ATM, sky train and car hire, so the response addresses the central subject. However, some important changes are only listed rather than clearly located or compared: for example, check-in moves to the inner wall, shops are added beside the concourse, and the concourse becomes Y-shaped. The overview that there are “many majors changes” is relevant but broad, and some details about the current route through the terminal are unclear. A more precise overview and fuller coverage of the layout changes would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a brief overview, a description of the current airport and a final paragraph about the redevelopment. This gives the reader a basic progression from present to future, and phrases such as “On the other hand” signal a comparison. However, the sequence within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly in “First, go the check in after that go waiting area,” where the route and the features are not clearly connected. The repeated use of “First” and “after development” also makes linking mechanical, while punctuation and spacing sometimes run ideas together. Grouping details by terminal area and using clearer references would make the organisation more consistently easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant airport vocabulary, including “departures,” “security passport control,” “gates,” “bag drop,” “ATM” and “car hire,” which helps communicate the main subject. There are also attempts to describe change with phrases such as “improve check-in” and “introduce sky train.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms are inaccurate, including “many majors changes,” “very advance airport,” “faclitie,” and “enrolled a bag drop function.” These errors sometimes make the intended meaning less clear or sound unnatural. Aim for precise map-description vocabulary and accurate collocations, such as describing facilities as being added, relocated or expanded, rather than relying on repeated general words like “airport” and “change.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can generally identify the main comparison. However, control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent. The opening, “The plans illustrate the site of an airport today looks,” combines structures incorrectly; “We comparisons” also lacks a correctly formed verb. In “Now the airport is very simple we enter the departures,” two clauses are joined without suitable punctuation or a linking structure. Articles and prepositions are also often missing, as in “go the check in” and “airport have a cafe.” These errors sometimes interrupt reading, even though the overall message remains understandable. Practise building accurate basic sentences first, then connect them with controlled clauses and consistent present and future forms.

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