Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The plans illustrates the site of an airport now and after the modification .

Overall, it is clear that major transformation is extend gates as well as enlarge the ares . Additionally , they added shopes , ATM , sky train , car hire inside of an airport .

Initially , there were 8 gates after devlopment it increased to 18 gates and there were just walk area in past but after tranformation a sky line train added . Also added a shops in the right site inside of the airport ; moreover the check in relocated in the left side then the cafe relocated to the left side , beside the cafe they added a bag drop area at the depurture site and depurture have bouble entrance after modification .

scoendly At the arrivals side have two gates ; moreover a car hire were implemented at right corner of the airport beside the car hire area a ATM is added . Also a new cafe implemented in left side corner near to passport control customs .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main change in capacity, noting that the airport expands from 8 to 18 gates, and your overview also mentions new facilities such as shops, an ATM, a sky train and car hire. These are relevant features and show a clear attempt to compare the two plans. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the shops are between Departures and the concourse, not on the airport’s right side; the new café is in Arrivals on the upper-right wall, not the left corner near passport control; and the plans do not show two gates in Arrivals. The check-in counter moves from the west wall to the inner wall beside Arrivals, while the café in Departures moves to the bottom-left. More precise location reporting would make the overview and comparisons more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall summary and two paragraphs describing changes. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and connectors such as “Overall,” “Additionally” and “moreover” show an effort to link points. However, the progression within the detail paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several locations and changes are combined in long sentences. For example, the sentence beginning “Also added a shops” moves from the shops to check-in, the café and bag drop without a clear spatial sequence. “Initially” and “scoendly” also do not create a consistent comparison structure. Grouping changes by Departures, Arrivals and the concourse, and using clearer references such as “in the new plan,” would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant airport vocabulary, including “gates,” “check-in,” “passport control,” “customs,” “bag drop” and “car hire,” which helps communicate the subject. There is also an attempt to describe change with words such as “increased,” “relocated” and “implemented.” However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate, including “sky line train,” “walk area,” “shopes” and “depurture.” “Implemented” is not a natural choice for facilities being added to a plan; “introduced” or “added” is more suitable. Repeated use of “added” and “area” also makes the description less precise. Aim to use accurate map vocabulary such as “concourse,” “terminal,” “located” and “extended,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with linking words, so there is some variety in structure. The meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence formation and basic grammar occur across the response. For example, “The plans illustrates” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “Initially, there were 8 gates after development it increased” joins two clauses without suitable punctuation or a connector. In “At the arrivals side have two gates,” the sentence lacks a clear subject and verb structure. Articles, plurals and verb forms also need attention, as in “a shops” and “a car hire were implemented.” Practise building accurate sentences with a clear subject and verb, then use past and future forms consistently to compare the current and planned layouts.

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.