Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-25

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 4.5)

The maps illustare the current layout of Southwest Airport and proposed changes which are going to happen in future.

Overall, the airport is expected to undergo alot of development and a lot new facilities will be added in future.

The old building has few facilities such as check-in, cafe, walkway and gates. But the new building will have more facilities than the the old ones such as ATM, sky train, car hire and bag drop. Moreover,the building's uper part will extanted in future. The building

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the airport plans and give a broad overview that redevelopment will add facilities and extend the upper part of the building. You also name several additions, including the ATM, sky train, car hire and bag drop. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it does not explain the main changes in the terminal or concourse, such as the increase from 8 to 18 gates, the Y-shaped extension, or the relocation of check-in. The description also stops mid-sentence at “The building,” leaving the comparison incomplete. The response is 85 words, below the required 150, so there is not enough detail to summarise the plans adequately. Describe the key locations and changes in complete, specific comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and then an overview, followed by a comparison of old and new facilities. The linking words “Overall,” “But,” and “Moreover” help signal these stages. However, the progression is very limited: the response does not develop into a clear account of the different areas, and the final sentence is unfinished (“The building”). The contrast between old and new is also compressed into one general statement rather than sequenced by terminal area or feature. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main details, then group changes logically—for example, the concourse and gates first, followed by changes to departures and arrivals.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general topic, with relevant terms such as “check-in,” “walkway,” “ATM,” “sky train,” and “car hire.” The contrast between “old” and “new” also conveys the basic comparison. However, the range is limited and some wording is imprecise or repetitive, particularly “a lot of development,” “more facilities,” and “the old ones.” Spelling errors such as “illustare,” “alot,” and “uper” are noticeable, while “extanted” makes the intended meaning less clear. Aim for more precise map-description vocabulary, such as “expanded,” “relocated,” and “additional facilities,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use some straightforward sentence forms successfully, including “The maps …” and “The old building has few facilities.” There is also an attempt to combine ideas with “such as” and “Moreover.” However, the range is narrow, and errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms are frequent enough to limit clarity. For example, “a lot new facilities” is missing a determiner, “the the old ones” repeats an article, and “which are going to happen in future” is an awkward relative clause. The final fragment, “The building,” is incomplete. Practise complete comparative sentences and check articles, plural forms, and clause structure; for example, state that the concourse will be extended and the number of gates will increase.

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.