Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14

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 4.5)

The diagrams compare the design of southwest airport site at present and the expected development in the upcoming year.

Overall, it is clear that the projected design with plenty of changes including size of the site by addition of gates. In addition, in comparison with present design, the site's will have noticeable upgradation by adding more rooms for different purposes.

In detail, on the part of departures check-in section goes from left to right

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the broad comparison between the airport now and its planned redevelopment, and it recognises that the number of gates will increase. However, the overview is vague: “plenty of changes” and “more rooms for different purposes” do not explain the main transformations clearly. The only specific detail is that check-in moves from left to right, and the response ends before describing the expanded concourse, new facilities, or changes to arrivals. This leaves the task only minimally addressed and provides too little accurate, selected information about the plans. The response is also 76 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the lack of coverage. To improve, give a clear overview and compare several key changes in both panels.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview and then a detail paragraph. The linking phrases “Overall,” “In addition,” and “In detail” signal these stages, so the reader can see the intended structure. However, the progression is not sustained because the final paragraph stops after one incomplete comparison, and the overview repeats the general idea of change without developing it. The relationship between “size of the site” and the addition of gates is also not made clear. Develop each paragraph around a complete purpose—for example, an overview of the major changes followed by specific comparisons of the concourse and terminal facilities—and use references that clearly identify the areas being compared.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “departures,” “check-in section,” “gates,” and “development,” which helps establish the airport context. It also attempts more formal wording such as “projected design” and “noticeable upgradation.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise: “upgradation” is not a natural fit here, “more rooms” does not accurately describe the added airport facilities, and “plenty of changes” is vague. The phrase “the site's will” also shows difficulty selecting the correct form. Use precise map vocabulary such as “facilities,” “concourse,” “terminal,” and “is extended,” and describe locations and movements directly. The limited range and noticeable awkward collocations restrict clarity, although the main topic remains understandable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few different sentence forms, including a comparison in “in comparison with present design,” but control is uneven and the range remains limited. In the overview, “it is clear that the projected design with plenty of changes” is not a complete grammatical clause: it needs a verb such as “includes.” “The site's will have” also has an incorrect possessive construction, while “on the part of departures check-in section goes from left to right” lacks clear sentence structure and punctuation. These errors make parts of the message difficult to follow. Practise complete subject–verb clauses and accurate articles and possessives, for example, “The check-in area moves from the left wall to the inner wall.” Then combine accurate simple sentences with a few controlled complex comparisons.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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