Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-16

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 6.5)

The illustration depicts how a a airport site looks currently and what it will look next year after redevelopment.

Overall, the airport site will change significantly after development. Not only will it retain a lot of its current facilities, but a lot of new facilities will also be added to the airport. These facilities include a lot of new gates, a new transportation system and much more for the convenience of passengers. The total size of the airport will also increase.

If we talk about the improvement in the transportation facilities, a car hire will be added to the airport. Moreover, the walkway will be replaced by a sky train which will make travelling in the airport much more convenient. The number of gates will increase from 8 to 16 and the number of doors dedicated for arrival and departure will also increase.

The location of the cafe and check-in would change to accommodate other facilities. The new facilities added include some new shops, a atm and a bag drop station.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You give a relevant overview of the redevelopment, identifying the expanded gate area, new sky train and added passenger facilities. You also compare the gate capacity and mention changes to the café and check-in. These points show a sound understanding of the plans. However, some details are inaccurate or too general: the gates increase from 8 to 18, not 16, and the plans do not show an increase in the number of arrival and departure doors. The description also omits important spatial changes, such as the concourse becoming Y-shaped and car hire occupying a new area on the far right. More precise reporting of these features, rather than broad claims such as “much more,” would make the account more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overall summary, and two paragraphs describing changes. The overview helps the reader understand the main direction of redevelopment, and phrases such as “Moreover” and “The location of” signal relationships between points. This gives the account a coherent overall structure. However, the progression within the detail paragraphs is not always easy to follow: transportation, gate numbers and doors are grouped together, while the final paragraph lists facilities without explaining their locations or how they relate to one another. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly “If we talk about.” Organising details by area—concourse, departures and arrivals—and using clearer spatial references would make the progression more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant airport vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “transportation system,” “walkway,” “sky train,” “check-in” and “bag drop station.” This is enough to communicate the main changes, but several choices are repetitive or imprecise. “A lot of” appears repeatedly and is too informal and vague for describing a plan; “facilities” is also used broadly where specific names would be clearer. “Improvement in the transportation facilities” is an awkward collocation, and “doors dedicated for arrival and departure” does not accurately describe the plan. Aim for more precise terms such as “passenger amenities,” “boarding gates” and “entrances,” and use location vocabulary to describe the layout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the contrastive structure “Not only will it retain … but … will also be added” and the future passive “will be replaced.” Most sentences remain understandable, and errors rarely obscure your meaning. Some grammatical slips are noticeable, however. The opening has a duplicated article in “a a airport,” and “what it will look next year” is missing “like.” There are also article and number-form issues in “a atm” and “the number of doors … will also increase,” the latter presenting an unsupported change. Review articles, omitted words and singular/plural forms, and proofread carefully. More accurate complex sentences would strengthen control.

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