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 plans illustrate the current layout of an airport and the proposed changes that will be made to it next year.

Overall, the airport is expected to undergo significant redevelopment next year, with new facilities being added and the existing layout being modified to accommodate more passengers.

First thing we describes the valueable addition in the comming plan is addition of sky trains and extended the air for stations while in present airport there was no such type of facility is present only a limited walkway. From my perspective its a great invention for peoples mostly like aged people.

The other features also noticable are bag drop services, car hire and ATM. These also plays a big role for a travelers as well as airport staff. People easily drop there bag and donot carry bag in a whole airport. Thereafter car hire is usefull because some passenger donot having any pick facility by relatives they can easily hire care and go toward their destination. While the last of is ATM some time travelers donot carry to much money while reaching to the airport they need like buying something like food as well as gift for someones.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change—redevelopment with added facilities—and mention the sky train, bag drop, car hire and ATM. However, the response only partly describes the plans: it focuses on the usefulness of facilities to passengers rather than systematically comparing the airport now and after redevelopment. Important visible changes are omitted, including the Y-shaped concourse and its increase from 8 to 18 gates, the new shops, and the relocation of check-in. The overview is relevant but general, and some claims, such as the sky train being especially useful for older people, are opinions rather than information shown in the plans. To strengthen the report, select the main spatial changes and describe where they are located, using the present and future layouts as evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs about changes. Phrases such as “Overall,” “The other features,” and “Thereafter” help signal progression. However, the organisation is not consistently suited to comparing two plans. The first body paragraph combines the sky train and concourse extension, while the second lists facilities and then explains their benefits, so the reader gets little sense of how the airport’s areas relate to one another. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly “First thing” and “The other features.” Grouping changes by location—concourse, departures, and arrivals—and using clear comparisons such as “whereas” or “in contrast” would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “sky trains,” “bag drop,” “car hire,” and “ATM,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making the intended meaning less clear. For example, “extended the air for stations” does not clearly describe the expanded concourse, and “pick facility” is an unclear way to refer to transport arrangements. There are also spelling and word-form problems, such as “comming,” “usefull,” and “travelers” alongside inconsistent forms. Aim for precise map vocabulary and natural collocations, such as “the concourse is extended,” “additional gates,” and “car-hire facilities,” rather than explaining the personal benefits of each feature.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, and the opening sentence and overview are generally understandable. However, control is inconsistent, especially in longer sentences. Examples include “First thing we describes,” “these also plays,” and “some passenger donot having any pick facility,” where subject–verb agreement and verb forms are faulty. Articles and sentence construction also cause problems in phrases such as “a whole airport” and “the last of is ATM.” These errors can make parts of the explanation difficult to follow. Practise building accurate simple comparisons first, then extend them with clauses—for example, “The current terminal has eight gates, whereas the redeveloped concourse will have eighteen”—and check agreement, tense, and sentence boundaries.

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