Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-23

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 diagram illustrates the site of an airport today and how it will look after renovation next year.

As of now, the airport have 2 access points, serving as departures and arrival, both adjacent to each other. Departure side has a check-in counter to its left side and a cafe to its right. As you move futher it, there is passport control and security. On the arrival side there is an open area, followed by passport control customs. Both areas then lead to an open floor space, right before a walk way, which connects 6 gates.

Proposed redevelopment, extends the overall airport site, both departure and arrival have 2 entrance. Cafe has moved to bottom the departure side, and check-in has moved to right side and on the left side there is bag drop. Security, passport control and customs remain the same. On the arrival side, a cafe has been added on its right side, with atm right below it. Next to atm there is a car hire service present. Shops have been added on previous open floor space in the middlfe. Number of gates has also increased to 18, and walk way have been replaced by sky train.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover both the current layout and the proposed changes, and you identify important developments such as the increase to 18 gates, the addition of a sky train, and new facilities in Arrivals. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the current concourse has eight gates, not six, and the redevelopment adds shops beside the concourse rather than simply in an “open floor space in the middle.” The statement that security, passport control and customs “remain the same” is also too broad, since their positions and labels are not all clearly represented as unchanged. Include a concise overview of the major changes, then describe the terminal and concourse more precisely to make the comparison fuller and more reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a sensible sequence: the first paragraph describes the airport now, and the second explains the redevelopment. This makes the overall comparison easy to follow, and phrases such as “As of now” and “Proposed redevelopment” signal the change in time. Within paragraphs, however, several details are joined in a list-like way, and some references are difficult to interpret. For example, “Both areas then lead to an open floor space” does not clearly identify the concourse, while “Next to atm” leaves the exact relationship between the ATM and car hire uncertain. Use clearer location references and group related features—for example, terminal changes separately from concourse and gate changes—to improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing an airport plan, including “check-in counter,” “passport control,” “bag drop,” “car hire,” and “gates.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main changes. However, some wording is imprecise or repetitive: “open area” and “open floor space” do not identify the concourse clearly, and “has moved” is repeated for different facilities. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “futher,” “middlfe,” and “walk way,” which reduce accuracy. Choose more precise spatial terms such as “concourse,” “adjacent to,” and “along the wall,” and check spelling and standard forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the sequence of present and future descriptions is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “the airport have 2 access points” has subject–verb disagreement, and “both departure and arrival have 2 entrance” has problems with number and agreement. In “Cafe has moved to bottom the departure side,” the article and preposition pattern are incomplete; “as you move futher it” also lacks a clear grammatical construction. These errors sometimes make relationships between locations harder to follow. Practise accurate plural forms, articles, and prepositions, and proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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