Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-30

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 6.5)

The following plans illustrate the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

Overall, at present the southwest airport offers the basic facilities. The plans after development seem to have more amenities by the addition of shops, sky train, ATM and much more.

Turning to the plan for the airport at present, we can observe that a total of 8 gates are available and a walkway is given to go from one gate to another. The airport is quite basic, it consists of a check-in counter before the passport control and security. However, a cafe is still present at the airport beside the check in counter.

Taking a closer look at the plans for redevelopment, 10 more gates along with a sky train have been added to assist travelers. Shops, ATM and car hire have been made available to the travelers for their convenience. One more gate is added for entrance to the departure area and another for exit from the arrival one as well. Passengers can now drop their bags before passport control to travel more comfortably.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrast between the current airport and its planned expansion, and your overview correctly notes the addition of shops, a sky train and other amenities. You also report the increase from 8 to 18 gates and mention the new bag-drop facility and car hire. However, some important changes are omitted or unclear: the concourse becomes Y-shaped, check-in moves to the inner wall, and the new café and ATM are in Arrivals. The claim that an extra gate is added for entry to Departures and another for exit from Arrivals is not supported by the plans, which show entrance doors in both areas. More precise coverage of the layout and locations would make the summary more complete and better developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by separate paragraphs describing the current and future plans. Sequencing phrases such as “Turning to” and “Taking a closer look” help signal these shifts, and the reader can follow the broad comparison. Some connections are nevertheless mechanical, and the description reads partly as a list of facilities rather than a guided comparison. For example, the final paragraph moves from gates to shops, then to entrances and bag drop without explaining how these features relate spatially. Grouping changes by area—concourse, Departures and Arrivals—and using clearer location references would strengthen progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “facilities,” “passport control,” “sky train” and “car hire,” so the main information is understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “for their convenience.” However, several expressions are vague or imprecise for describing a plan: “a walkway is given,” “much more,” and “one more gate is added for entrance” do not clearly convey the mapped changes. “A cafe is still present” is also less natural than a direct description of its location. Aim for precise verbs and spatial language, such as “is relocated,” “is positioned beside,” or “the concourse is extended,” while checking standard forms such as “café.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple sentences and more developed structures, including “The plans after development seem to have more amenities by the addition of…” and “Passengers can now drop their bags before passport control…”. Most meanings remain clear, but some grammatical and punctuation issues reduce accuracy. The sentence “The airport is quite basic, it consists…” joins two independent clauses with only a comma; use a full stop or a conjunction. In “a total of 8 gates are available,” the singular subject “a total” calls for “is available,” or you could write “there are 8 gates.” The future-plan description also shifts between “have been added” and “is added”; keep tense choices consistent when reporting planned changes.

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