Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-20

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 provided map diagram demonstrates the comparative data on a plane of an airport area conditions now and it will look after reconstruction next year. Looking at the overall picture, it is readily apparant that it will become more spacious, and also provides lot of facilities after its redevelopment. However, it will introduce more features such as Bag drop, ATM, Car hire and Sky train for better servicing.

Airport these days, has less facilities such as Cafe, check-in, walkway and eight gates for the enterence, while it is also small in size.

Next year after the development, it will remove walkway which was surrounted by gates on the top, while it will introduce ATM facilitie in the customs right side. Likewise, it will also construct a car hire next to ATM and a sky train on the top. It will also expand gates from 8 to 18, and it will also introduce a bag drop in the departures side. Addtionaly, a check-in the departyures is replaced from left to right, and the cafe will also be replaced from top to bottom. Nevertheless, it also build a cafe at arivals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall change: the airport becomes larger, gains facilities, and expands from eight to eighteen gates. You also cover several relevant changes, including the new bag drop, ATM, car hire and sky train, as well as the relocation of check-in and the café. This gives the response a sound overview and addresses the main stages of the plan. Some details, however, are unclear or inaccurate: the sky train runs along the central stem of the concourse, not “on the top,” and the ATM is in Arrivals rather than “in the customs right side.” The café in Departures moves from the right side to the bottom-left, while another café is added in Arrivals. Clarifying these locations and comparing the Y-shaped gate extension would make the account more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by descriptions of the current and future layouts. Linking expressions such as “Likewise,” “Additionally” and “Nevertheless” help connect some points. However, progression within the final paragraph is not always easy to follow, as several changes are listed in one long sequence without grouping them by area. “Nevertheless” does not express a clear contrast in “Nevertheless, it also build a cafe at arivals,” and references such as “it” can be ambiguous. Organise the details into clearer groups—for example, concourse and gates, then Departures and Arrivals—and use transitions that show addition or contrast accurately. This would strengthen the overall progression and reduce the impression of a list.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “facilities,” “gates,” “bag drop” and “car hire,” and the reader can generally understand the changes you describe. However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “comparative data on a plane,” “for better servicing” and “expand gates.” Spelling errors—including “apparant,” “enterence,” “surrounted” and “Addtionaly”—also make the writing less controlled. Aim for straightforward, accurate map language rather than elaborate phrasing: describe the “airport layout,” say that facilities “are added,” and explain that the concourse “is extended” and “accommodates more gates.” More accurate collocations and careful proofreading would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a time clause in “after the development” and a comparison of the gate numbers. However, errors occur across sentence patterns and sometimes make relationships unclear. For example, “Airport these days, has less facilities” has an unnecessary comma and incorrect agreement, while “it will remove walkway” is missing an article and uses an unclear subject. In “a check-in the departyures is replaced from left to right,” the noun phrase and passive construction are not formed correctly. There are also tense and agreement problems in “it also build a cafe.” Practise accurate present-versus-future descriptions and passive forms, such as “Check-in will be moved,” while checking articles, plurals and sentence boundaries.

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