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 plan illustrates the present site of an airport while the other shows the look of airport after redevelopment next year.

Overall , the airport in current stage is limited to few facilities such as one cafe , limited gates and walkways.However, the developed plans demonstrates its extension in various facilities.For instance ,the increase in gates , cafe. furthermore ,the availibility of ATM , sky train , bag drop and car hire have been incorporated as well.

The current cirumstances of airport are limited with few facilities. there is only one cafe opposite to check-in and limited 8 gates .The walkways are only limited to 2 in numbers.

In contarst to current plan , the future plan is more developed interms of facilities. The additional cafe is constructed. The gates have been increased from 8 to 18. The daily facilities such as ATM , bag drop have been incorporated.Furthermore , the sky train has been constructed as per modern needs and car hire portion has been made as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main change clearly: the airport expands from 8 to 18 gates and gains facilities such as a sky train, ATM, bag drop and car hire. The overview also captures the contrast between the limited current layout and the more developed future one. This covers the central purpose of the plans and is supported by relevant comparisons. However, some details are inaccurate or too general: the walkway is described as “2 in numbers,” although the plan shows a walkway rather than two walkways, and the response does not explain the Y-shaped concourse or the relocation of check-in. The café locations and the new arrangement of the terminal could also be described more precisely. The main features are selected, but some are not fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to descriptions of the current and future plans. This gives the reader a basic route through the comparison. However, progression within paragraphs is limited: the overview lists facilities, and the later paragraphs repeat several of the same points without adding much spatial detail. Linking expressions such as “However,” “For instance,” and “Furthermore” are used, but some are awkwardly placed or do not clearly connect the ideas. The comparison would be easier to follow if the current and future layouts were grouped by area—for example, the concourse and gates, then departures and arrivals—and if references to locations were made explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “gates,” “check-in,” “walkways,” “ATM,” and “car hire,” so the reader can understand the main changes. There is also some attempt to vary wording with phrases such as “incorporated” and “constructed.” However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural, including “current circumstances of airport,” “limited with few facilities,” and “car hire portion.” Spelling errors such as “availibility,” “cirumstances,” and “contarst” are noticeable, as are repeated phrases such as “facilities” and “have been incorporated.” More precise language for locations and changes would make the description clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “while” and a future comparison beginning “In contrast to current plan.” The main message is generally understandable, but grammatical control is inconsistent. Examples include missing articles in “the present site of an airport” and “current circumstances of airport,” and agreement errors in “the developed plans demonstrates” and “the gates have been increased.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also unreliable, as in “walkways.However” and the comma spacing throughout. Most sentences follow similar patterns, so the range remains limited. Work on articles, subject–verb agreement, and punctuation, then practise combining accurate clauses to express location and change.

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