Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-17

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 6.0)

The plan illustrate the current layout of southwest airport and the changes that will be made after redevelopment next year.

Overall, the airport will be significantly expanded,with the number of gates increasing from eight to eighteen.In adddition, new facilities,including shops,will be introduced to improve the service available to passengers.

At present,the airport has a relatively simple layout,with eight gates number 1 to 8. The gates are arranged in a rectangular area connected to the main airport building.The building contains security, passport control, customs facilities. There are also area for passengers to board and leave their flights.

After redevelopment, the airport will have a much larger and more complex design. The number of gates will increase to 18, and they will arranged in two branches expending from the central boarding area. Gates 1 to 9 will be located on the left hand side, wile gates 10-18 will be situated on the right. Furthermore, shopes will be added along the passage leading towards the gates. The main airport building will retain its security, passport control, and customs areas, although some facilities may be rearranged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main change clearly: the airport expands from eight to eighteen gates, with a more complex branching concourse and new shops. The overview also gives the reader a useful sense of the redevelopment’s scale. However, the description addresses the plans only partially because several prominent changes are omitted, including the central sky train, the new bag-drop area, the relocated check-in, and the added café, ATM and car-hire facility. Some details are also vague or inaccurate: the current building is said to contain “areas for passengers to board and leave their flights,” rather than describing its labelled functions and layout. To develop the response, compare the terminal facilities before and after, as well as the concourse.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: introduction, overview, current layout and future layout. This gives it a coherent overall progression, and phrases such as “At present” and “After redevelopment” help distinguish the two stages. The contrast between the current rectangular gate area and the future two branches is also easy to follow. To make the organisation more effective, group details by area and explain how facilities change between plans, rather than ending with the broad statement that areas “may be rearranged.” Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “The number of gates will increase,” and the final paragraph could connect the terminal changes more explicitly to the earlier description.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing plans, including “layout,” “redevelopment,” “branches,” and “located,” and the reader can understand the main comparison. However, the range is limited and some word choices or spellings reduce precision: “expending” does not accurately describe the branches extending from the central area, while “shopes” and “wile” are spelling errors. “Board and leave their flights” is also an imprecise way to describe airport functions. Aim for accurate, map-specific terms such as “concourse,” “terminal,” and “facilities,” and vary repeated wording such as “gates” and “airport building.” More precise vocabulary would help you report the visual information rather than rely on general descriptions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, and the overall meaning is generally clear. However, errors in agreement, articles and verb forms occur in several places. For example, “The plan illustrate” should be “The plans illustrate,” “There are also area” needs a plural noun, and “they will arranged” requires “they will be arranged.” The sentence “The building contains security, passport control, customs facilities” also needs clearer grammatical coordination, such as “security, passport-control and customs facilities.” Punctuation spacing is inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and full stops. Check each sentence for a complete verb phrase, correct singular/plural agreement and consistent punctuation.

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