Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-24

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 two diagram illustrates the site of an airport what it looks now and what it will look after the redevelopment next year. It is evident that the airport is going through a big renovation for example the gates will be increased. There are new addition like Bag drop, ATM,Sky train and car hire will be built.

At present, In departures in the left they have check in and in the right they have a cafe. Following the have passport control after that secuirty.Then they have 8 gates.And in Arraivals after gate they have passport control and following customs.Finally the arrivals gate.

After the development After entering the depertures gate in the left first we will see a cafe then a bag drop additionally in the right they will have check in. Afterwards that they will see the passport ocntrol follwong a security. Next there will be shops and finally 18 gates. And for arrivals after the gate they will see passport control afterward the customs. Then the next thing that will catch their eye is a coffee shop and next an ATM. Lastly in the left they will see car hire and in the fornt arrivals gate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main change—the expansion from eight to eighteen gates—and mention several additions, including the sky train, ATM and car hire. You also compare the airport before and after redevelopment, so the response is relevant to the task. However, the overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the overall transformation, especially the new Y-shaped concourse. Some locations and sequences are inaccurate or unclear: for example, the current café is described as being on the right, but its position is not explained in relation to the terminal, and the future shops and gate layout are reduced to “finally 18 gates.” The account also omits notable changes such as the relocated check-in counter and the new car-hire extension. Select the major structural changes and describe their positions more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic chronological structure: the second paragraph describes the current airport, and the third covers the proposed layout. This gives the reader a general sense of the comparison, and sequencing words such as “At present,” “After the development” and “Finally” help signal stages. However, progression within the paragraphs is often difficult to follow because locations and routes are presented as a sequence of things passengers will see, rather than grouped by area or function. Connectors are also repetitive or awkward, as in “after that,” “following” and “Next,” while the opening overview is not clearly separated from the detailed description. Organise each stage by terminal area, and use clearer spatial links such as “to the west,” “adjacent to” and “in the arrivals section.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant airport vocabulary, including “departures,” “arrivals,” “passport control,” “customs,” “gates” and “redevelopment.” This gives the response enough task-specific language to communicate its general subject. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or repetitive: “they will see” and “the next thing that will catch their eye” are conversational and do not describe a plan efficiently. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “secui[r]ty,” “Arraivals,” “depertures” and “ocntrol,” which can interrupt reading. Use precise location vocabulary and formal map-description phrases, and check spelling carefully. For example, describe facilities as being “located” or “positioned” in a particular part of the terminal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences and uses present and future forms to distinguish the two plans. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors frequently make the descriptions harder to interpret. The opening has a subject–verb agreement error (“The two diagram illustrates”) and an incomplete construction (“what it looks now and what it will look”). Other examples include “At present, In departures in the left they have,” which has faulty word order and punctuation, and “Following the have passport control,” where the sentence structure is unclear. Articles, prepositions and sentence boundaries also need attention. Practise building accurate location sentences, such as “Check-in is on the west wall,” and use a consistent tense for each plan.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.