Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-01

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 5.0)

The plan displays the layout of the southwest airport as that is now and after the redevelopment in the comming year.

To summarize, accesibility to the airport will increase after the changes. Moreover, walkway is replaced with the sky train facilitating the comfort for the travellers.

At present, there are only 8 gates for the entry and exit of the passengers with a walkway. After development, 10 more gates are added after the change in layout.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the two time periods and report two relevant changes: the number of gates rises from 8 to 18, and the walkway is replaced by a sky train. However, the response addresses the plan only minimally. The overview claim that “accessibility to the airport will increase” is broad and not clearly supported, and most major changes are omitted, including the Y-shaped concourse, shops, bag drop, relocated check-in, and new facilities in Arrivals. The statement about the walkway also needs care: the plan shows a sky train along the extended concourse, but does not establish that it simply replaces the walkway. The response is below the required 150 words, which leaves the main features insufficiently covered. Describe the terminal changes and their locations in more detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, readable structure: an introduction, a brief overview, and a paragraph comparing the gate arrangements. Phrases such as “To summarize” and “At present” help signal the stages. However, the progression is limited because the comparison stops after only a few points, and there is no clear grouping of changes to the concourse, Departures, and Arrivals. The link “Moreover” introduces an overview point, but the relationship between increased accessibility and the sky train is not explained. To improve, organise the report around an overview followed by specific comparisons, using location-based sequencing and clear references to each area of the airport.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “layout,” “redevelopment,” “gates,” “walkway,” and “sky train,” so the reader can understand the general subject. The range is nevertheless limited, and several expressions are imprecise or awkward for describing a plan. “Gates for the entry and exit of the passengers” is unnecessarily wordy, while “10 more gates are added after the change in layout” does not describe the expanded concourse precisely. There are also spelling errors in “comming” and “accesibility.” Use concise map-reporting terms such as “the concourse is extended,” “facilities are added,” and “check-in is relocated,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your sentences are generally understandable, and you attempt a range of forms, including the introductory clause “as that is now” and the passive construction “10 more gates are added.” However, the first sentence is awkwardly constructed: “as that is now” does not form a clear grammatical comparison. In “walkway is replaced,” the singular count noun needs an article, and “after the change in layout” is an unclear construction. The response relies mostly on short, simple statements, so it shows limited variety in sentence structure. Practise accurate comparative forms and passive descriptions, for example, “The airport currently has eight gates, while the redeveloped concourse will accommodate eighteen.”

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