Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21
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 4.5)
The airport area is showing in section one which is the old one while the second is the developed and best one and things are changed in it as compared to first one.The second one airport is more good as walkways are changed in the end place because that is the way that is used for landing plane and there would be risk to use this way for walkways.The second thing that is changed in the new airport is the shops area which is removed in the second as that must not be there and should be built outside the airport.The departures and arrivals in the airport are the same as before in the both sections of the airport. security passport control and passport control customs are also the same in the new section of airport as in the previous section.One thing that is changed in the second section of the airport is the way at the end which is made two way and the number of gates is changed and increased to 18 gates from 8.The second section is the best section as all the things are arranged in a sequence.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify the broad change in gate capacity, noting that the number rises from eight to eighteen, and you mention that Departures and Arrivals remain in the same general areas. However, the response only partially reports the plans and includes several inaccurate interpretations. The shops are added along the angled wall in the redevelopment, not removed, and the walkway is not described as a landing area or as unsafe. The overview that the second plan is “best” and that everything is arranged “in a sequence” is evaluative rather than a clear summary of the main physical changes. To strengthen this response, accurately describe the Y-shaped concourse and key additions such as the sky train, bag drop, ATM and car hire, while distinguishing what stays from what changes.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
The response follows a basic comparison between the old and redeveloped airport, and linking phrases such as “The second thing” and “One thing that is changed” help signal that you are moving to another feature. However, the ideas are presented as one continuous block, with no clear paragraphing or overview separated from details. Repeated references to “the second section” and “the airport” make the progression mechanical, while the long opening sentence combines several points without clear boundaries. Some connections are also confusing: the claim about walkways and plane landing does not lead logically into the discussion of shops. Group the main overview first, then compare terminal changes and concourse changes in separate paragraphs, using precise references such as “the existing terminal” and “the new concourse.”
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “departures,” “arrivals,” “passport control,” “shops,” “walkways” and “gates,” so the reader can recognise the airport context. However, the range is basic and repetitive, and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a plan. “The developed and best one” and “more good” are not suitable ways to describe the redevelopment, while “the way at the end” is too vague for the concourse. The phrase “shops area which is removed” also misreports the map. Use more precise location and change vocabulary, such as “extended,” “relocated,” “added,” “along the western wall” and “Y-shaped concourse,” and avoid subjective judgements like “best.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt some longer sentences and comparisons, including “The departures and arrivals in the airport are the same as before,” and the main message is generally understandable. However, sentence structures are limited and several sentences are joined without appropriate punctuation, especially the opening and the sentence beginning “The second thing that is changed.” There are also recurring problems with articles, agreement and verb forms: “airport area is showing” is awkwardly formed, “the second one airport is” lacks a clear grammatical structure, and “things are changed” does not express the intended comparison naturally. Practise concise present-simple descriptions of the plans, with accurate passive forms where useful—for example, “Check-in is moved” and “the concourse is extended”—and divide long statements into complete sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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