Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-19

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

map ielts writing task 1

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The maps compare the layout of of site of airport how it look in present time and in upcoming decades.

Overall, it can be reflect a large amount of changes the departure and arrival gate double than now. Although many facilities constructed in the future.And the gates surge in their number and also Y in shape.

Looking at now, airport has few amounts of facilities. Mainly, two gates one departures and other arrivals. In departures the cafe and check in point is located. In addition, two passport control costoms in besides each others. Airport has only gates and very short walway for the passangers.

Turning to the second map, it gates will double in numbers. The car parking shall near the arrivals. However, check in and cafe relocated and many thing will constructed new ATM machine, bag drop. The walkway will convert into large sky train. And also the would be increase in their size more than doble.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from the current airport to a larger future layout, and your overview notes that the gates increase and the concourse becomes Y-shaped. You also mention several relevant additions, including an ATM and bag drop. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: the current plan has one departures area and one arrivals area, not “two gates,” and the future gate total rises from 8 to 18 rather than simply doubling. “Car parking” is also not shown; the new facility is car hire. The comparison of relocated facilities is too general to show where they move. To strengthen the response, report the main spatial changes accurately and distinguish the terminal facilities from the gates and concourse.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph about the current airport, and a final paragraph about the redevelopment. Phrases such as “Looking at now” and “Turning to the second map” help signal the shift between stages. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly in the overview and the final paragraph, where several changes are listed without clear relationships. “Although many facilities constructed in the future” is also left as an incomplete thought, and “And also” creates a weak link between ideas. Grouping changes by area—concourse, departures, then arrivals—and using clearer links between comparisons would make the organisation more coherent and less list-like.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “passport control,” “check in,” “ATM machine,” and “Y in shape,” so the reader can identify the general subject. However, the range and precision are limited, and several choices are inaccurate or awkward. “Car parking” misnames the facility shown as car hire, while “gates surge in their number” and “few amounts of facilities” are unnatural collocations. Spelling errors such as “walway,” “passangers,” and “doble” also reduce clarity. Aim for precise map vocabulary and natural phrases, for example, “the number of gates increases” and “the concourse is extended into a Y-shape.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt a few longer structures, including “Although many facilities constructed in the future” and “the gates surge in their number and also Y in shape,” but these are not grammatically complete or well controlled. Errors with articles, verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction occur throughout: “The maps compare the layout of of site of airport” needs a clearer noun phrase, and “it gates will double” has an incorrect subject and verb pattern. The sentence beginning “In addition, two passport control…” is also incomplete. Most sentences rely on simple patterns, with limited accurate complex structure. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense and agreement when comparing the present plan with future changes.

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