Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-15

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 two plans shows the development of southwest airport site now and how it will look after redevelopment in the upcoming year.

Overall, in the redevelopment phase department and arrival gates will be constructed, bag-drop, car rise and ATM will be developed for the next year plan. Also, there are only 8 gates now which will expand to 18 gates next year, and in place of walkaway, sky train will be introduced next year.

In this year, there is only one department and arrival gate but next year there will be two department and arrival gates respectively. Inside security passport control, check-in is in western direction while cafe is in north-east, whereas the year after check-in will be in eastern direction and cafe in south-west followed by bag drop pointing towards north of cafe.

In contrast, passport control customs are empty now and in next year cafe and ATM will be developed in north-eastern direction, whereas care hire will be in eastern direction with a small extra space inside it. Also, next year shops will be developed above security passport control in north-west direction.

On top of this, there are 8 gates now with two walkways inside it, while the coming year will expand to 12 gates making a Y-shape figure with two sky trains inside it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main change in capacity, noting that the airport expands from 8 gates to 18, and you mention several new facilities, including the sky train, shops, ATM and car hire. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: the future plan has 18 gates, not 12, and the sky train is a single central line rather than “two sky trains.” The overview also says that “department and arrival gates will be constructed,” which does not clearly describe the actual changes. Some locations are misreported: check-in moves to the inner wall beside Arrivals, not simply east, and the shops are beside the concourse stem. A more precise overview and accurate comparison of the terminal layout would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into paragraphs and generally moves from an overview to details about Departures, Arrivals and the gates. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is weakened by unclear references and connections, such as “Inside security passport control” and “In contrast, passport control customs are empty now”; it is difficult to tell which areas these phrases refer to. The repeated use of “next year” and “whereas” also makes the links feel mechanical, and the final paragraph repeats the gate comparison already made in the overview. Grouping changes by area and using clearer references to the two plans would create a more consistent progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “redevelopment,” “north-eastern direction,” “Y-shape” and “expand.” This gives you a basic range for reporting changes and locations. However, several word choices or spellings make the meaning less precise: “department” appears to mean “Departures,” “car rise” is presumably “car hire,” and “walkaway” should be “walkway.” Phrases such as “arrival gates” and “bag drop pointing towards north of cafe” are also not natural or clear descriptions of the facilities and their positions. Aim for accurate map vocabulary and collocations, for example “the Departures area,” “is located beside,” and “the terminal is extended.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer comparisons, including a sentence using “whereas” to contrast the current and future layouts. However, errors in sentence structure and agreement are noticeable. For example, “The two plans shows” should use a plural verb, while “there are only 8 gates now which will expand” incorrectly suggests that the gates themselves expand. Some clauses are also difficult to follow, particularly “Inside security passport control, check-in is in western direction.” Articles and prepositions are often missing or awkward, as in “in north-eastern direction.” Use shorter, complete sentences with clear subjects, and check agreement, articles and prepositions when describing locations.

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

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