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 given plans illustrate the layout of Southwest Airport at present and the proposed changes following its redevelopment next year.

Overall, it is clear that the airport will undergo significant expansion, with a substantial increase in passenger facilities and gates.

The facilities of southwest airport in current situation is so mediocre. There were huge number of passengers arrived in every single flight, And the facility provided by airport in terms of gate is only 8. Zero facility of coffee and anyother food spot in passport control customs. Number of walkway were also less.

On the other hand the airport which is showed in map that will be available after one year is a totally different project. In current situation only 8 gates were provided but after one year it will turned into 18 gates. One more coffee shop will be added on the other side (passport control customs). No ATM was seen in current but after an year 1 ATM will be added.Existing Walkway will will be turned into Sky train. Also plenty of other things such as Bagdrop and car hire will be included in the upcoming project according to the plans of southwest airport.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main transformation accurately: the gate capacity rises from 8 to 18, and you mention the new sky train, ATM, bag drop and car hire. The overview also correctly highlights substantial expansion and added facilities. However, several details are inaccurate or insufficiently grounded in the plans. The current airport does have a café, so “Zero facility of coffee” is incorrect; the new café is in Arrivals, but the plans also show a café in Departures. The walkway is not simply turned into a sky train: the concourse is extended into a Y-shape and the train runs along its central stem. To develop the response further, describe the changed locations of check-in and the new shops, and avoid unsupported claims about passenger numbers or facilities being “mediocre.”

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a brief overview, and paragraphs contrasting the current airport with the future plan. Phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” help signal the shift between stages, and the main comparison is generally easy to follow. However, the progression within the final paragraph is somewhat list-like, with several new facilities added one after another without grouping them by area or explaining their relationship. The contrast marker “On the other hand” is also less precise than a direct transition to the future layout. Organise details into clear groups—for example, terminal changes and concourse changes—and use references such as “in Arrivals” or “along the concourse” to make connections clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “passenger facilities,” “gates,” “ATM,” “Bagdrop,” and “car hire,” so the reader can understand the broad changes. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “substantial increase.” However, word choice and collocation are often imprecise or informal for an airport plan: “coffee shop” and “food spot” are less suitable than “café,” while “totally different project” and “mediocre” are evaluative rather than objective. “Number of walkway” and “facility … in terms of gate” are also awkward expressions. Aim for precise location and change vocabulary, such as “is relocated,” “is added,” “concourse,” and “terminal facilities,” and check spelling and spacing in compounds such as “bag drop.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of sentence forms, including the overview clause “with a substantial increase…” and the contrastive sentence beginning “On the other hand.” The opening sentence is also clear and grammatically controlled. However, errors in agreement, tense, articles and sentence construction recur. For example, “The facilities … is” should use a plural verb, and “it will turned into 18 gates” needs “will turn” or “will be expanded to 18 gates.” The sentence beginning “There were huge number” has an article and agreement problem, while “the airport which is showed in map” is not correctly formed. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, particularly in “flight, And” and the run-on sequence about the ATM. Practise accurate past/present and future forms when comparing the two plans.

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