Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The below diagram states the formation of an airport for current period Vs how it will be after development for coming year.

The picture mapping is labelled with minimum features for the airport location today as compared with the redevelopment area.

firstly, there is 8 gates for Walk way whereas after development it is 18 gates with sky train. Once we move forward there are split, In the right corner Shops is in redevelopment area as they featured it verses before development. Again there's 2 divisions one is for security passport control another is passport control custom crossing them we reached two different compartment which is departures and arrivals.

In departure, once we enter to departure area there's a shift of compartment cafe in before development which is in left direction of departure and in after development it's in right in corner of departure gate same goes with check in point it was located in right field of departure but after development it is switched to the cafe area of before development also there is another feature placed for bag drop as neighbour of cafe.

In arrivals, there is nothing for before development but after development once we enter in the left side there's a cafe going forward there an ATM and moving forward to the left direction there's a car hire place too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main change in capacity, noting that the airport expands from eight gates to eighteen and gains a sky train, and you mention several new facilities. However, the account is only partially accurate and does not give a clear overview of the redevelopment as a whole. Some locations are reversed: the new shops are between Departures and the concourse, not in its right corner; the new café in Departures is at the bottom-left, while the café in the current layout is on the right. You also say there is “nothing” in Arrivals before development, although passport control and customs are shown there. To improve, summarise the major structural changes first, then compare the terminal facilities using the correct positions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into paragraphs and broadly moves from the concourse to Departures and then Arrivals, so the reader can recognise the intended sections. However, there is no clear overview paragraph, and the progression within sections is often difficult to follow. Phrases such as “Once we move forward,” “Again there's 2 divisions,” and “moving forward to the left direction” do not clearly establish which part of the plan is being described. Comparisons are also joined together in long, loosely connected sentences. Organise the response around an overview followed by the terminal and concourse changes, and use precise links such as “By contrast” or “In the redeveloped plan” to make comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “gates,” “sky train,” “passport control,” “check in,” “bag drop,” and “car hire,” which helps convey the subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making the layout hard to understand. For example, “formation of an airport” does not describe a redevelopment plan, “compartment” is not a natural term for the airport sections, and “crossing them” is unclear when referring to security and passport-control areas. Repeated use of “moving forward” also gives imprecise directions. Build a more exact vocabulary for locations and changes, such as “concourse,” “adjacent to,” “relocated,” and “extended,” and use these consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts longer sentences and comparisons, but complex constructions are often faulty, and errors frequently make relationships between features difficult to interpret. Examples include “there is 8 gates,” where the plural subject requires “there are,” and “Once we move forward there are split,” which lacks a clear grammatical structure. In “there's a shift of compartment cafe,” the sentence does not clearly express what moved or where. Articles, agreement, and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “there's an ATM” after the fragment “going forward there an ATM.” Use shorter, complete sentences to establish each location, then add comparisons with controlled clauses. Check subject–verb agreement and ensure every sentence has a clear subject and verb.

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