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)

Now the airport is small in area. When we enter from departures, check in post is leeft side and cafe is right side.Security passport control is top on the check in and cafe area but the opposite side is the side of arrival. When we enter from arrival gate , we see the passport control customs. The upper and the last floor of the airport having 8 gates and walkaway side. This is the site of an airport now.

But after a year, We will a big change in this building of airport. We will see the two ways od departure side and also arrival side. Old buildind had two appartments in the front of departure whilethe new building will make three departments such as cafe, check in and bag drop. Arrivals side will have also three departments like cafe ATM and car hire. The next floor will same as old building. But the new thing will show you on this floor will be shops. The last floor will have 18 gates by the comparision of old building of airport and between it, there will have two walkawy for sky train.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast between the airport now and after redevelopment, including the increase from 8 to 18 gates and the addition of facilities such as shops, a sky train, an ATM and car hire. These are relevant features, and the response covers both stages. However, the overview is not clearly separated or fully developed, and several spatial details are inaccurate or vague. For example, the current café is described as being on the right, but its position relative to security and passport control is unclear; the claim that the new building has “two ways” is also not supported by the plan. The comparison of the terminal’s internal layout could be more precise. Select the most significant changes and describe their locations accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible order: it describes the current airport first and then moves to the redevelopment. This helps the reader distinguish the two stages, and phrases such as “But after a year” signal a change in time. However, the ideas within each stage are often crowded together, with limited paragraphing and abrupt transitions. The opening description moves from check-in and the café to security, arrivals and gates without consistently guiding the reader through the plan. Some references, such as “the upper and the last floor” and “this floor,” are difficult to interpret. Use a clear overview paragraph followed by one paragraph for each plan, and connect locations with precise directional language.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant airport vocabulary, including “passport control,” “customs,” “gates,” “ATM” and “car hire,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the description difficult to follow. For instance, “two appartments” and “three departments” do not describe airport areas appropriately, while “two walkawy for sky train” is unclear. Spelling errors such as “leeft,” “od,” “buildind” and “comparision” also reduce accuracy. Build a bank of precise terms for airport facilities and map locations, and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine ideas using clauses such as “When we enter from departures” and “while the new building will make three departments,” but sentence structures are mostly simple or become difficult to control. Errors in verb forms and sentence construction occur repeatedly: “We will a big change” needs a verb, and “there will have two walkawy” uses an incorrect construction. Articles and prepositions are also inconsistent, as in “on the check in and cafe area.” Capitalisation and spacing after full stops are not controlled consistently. These errors sometimes obscure the intended relationships between features. Practise accurate present-tense descriptions of the current plan and future forms for the redevelopment, then check each sentence for a complete subject and verb.

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