Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-22

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 given plans illustrate the place of an airport now and how it will look after renovation next year.

Overall,mostly services are very new for passengers and gates increased from eight to eighteen,sky trains are available 24hours front of gates,shops,and other redevelopments are pretty cool.

Firstly, 8 gates, 2 walkaway, security and customs passport controls in now condition of airport before redevelopment of airport. In departures side check-in,and cafe service are available, In arrivals side no extra thing will be here.

After redevelopment the number of gates will increased 8 to 18, sky trains will be available all the time for passengers. Furthermore,multiple shops near the terminals, In security and customs side a lot of services will active for 24 hours in a day. Like, bag drop,check-in,cafe,atm services, car hire increase the value of airport after redevelopment. But some services are still same. Like, cafe,check-in otherwise airport will be more improved.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main change in capacity, noting that the gates increase from eight to eighteen, and you mention several new facilities, including shops, a sky train, bag drop, an ATM and car hire. However, the overview is unclear and includes unsupported claims: the sky train is not described as operating “24hours,” and the plans do not show services running 24 hours. Some important spatial changes are missed, such as the concourse becoming Y-shaped and check-in moving beside Arrivals. The statement that Arrivals has “no extra thing” now is too vague to summarise its passport control and customs. The response is also 9 words below the 150-word minimum. Develop the comparison with accurate locations and a clearer overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an attempted overview, and separate descriptions of the current and future airport. This gives the reader some sense of the comparison, and words such as “Firstly” and “Furthermore” signal additions. However, progression is not consistently clear. The overview combines several points in a confusing sentence, while the final paragraph jumps between gates, transport, shops and services without a clear spatial order. Linking phrases such as “Like” are repetitive and do not clearly connect examples to the point. Organise the details by area—for example, the concourse first, then Departures and Arrivals—and use clearer references to distinguish existing facilities from new ones.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant airport vocabulary, including “gates,” “check-in,” “customs,” “bag drop,” “ATM” and “car hire,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or informal, making some descriptions difficult to interpret. “Walkaway” does not clearly name the walkway, “the place of an airport” is an awkward way to introduce the plans, and “pretty cool” is too conversational for an IELTS report. “Services will active” also uses an unsuitable word form and collocation. Aim for precise terms for locations and changes, such as “concourse,” “facility” and “be added,” and avoid evaluative comments that are not shown by the plans.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the basic meaning is sometimes recoverable. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction. For example, “the number of gates will increased” needs a correct future form, while “mostly services are very new” has an unclear structure. The sentence beginning “Furthermore, multiple shops…” is a fragment, and “In departures side check-in” lacks the grammatical framing needed for a complete sentence. Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, with several run-on or comma-spliced sentences. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense and agreement when comparing the present plan with the future one.

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