Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-04

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 6.0)

The blueprints below show the area of an airport now and how it will be refurbished after redevelopment in the upcoming year.

Overall, the redevelopment plan of southwest airport is shown with a detailed plan of what things will be included to make the experience easier for the public, the most noticable change will be the terminal gates.

The previous plan shows the first thing in the departure section is that they must pass by check-in where just beside that they can also access a cafe, right after that there is a passport control and security section they must pass through, once that is cleared the travellers can access the gates with which they can walk towards the runway, vice versa in the arrivals section there are no basic amenities or shops seen, once the travellers arrive they must access the passport control and customs.

The upcoming year's blueprint shows the biggest changes, which are the number of gates introduced with being eight in the previous plan to eighteen in the proposed plan. The other thing the traveller can access is sky train to reach the terminal. In the departures section there were some facilities which the travellers could access before as well, the check-in and a cafe. whereas, in the new plan one more thing is introduced which is bag drop. Once they reach there the same facilities can be accessed which are passport control and security, after that section shops are introduced to which visitors can go and shop once they clear the security check which were not previously present. The noticable things on the arrival can be seen that few things are introduced which were not present there, such as cafe, ATM, and a car hire.

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AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover both the current and proposed layouts and identify the main transformation: the gates increase from eight to eighteen. You also report several relevant changes, including the sky train, shops, bag drop, café, ATM and car hire, so the response gives a clear account of the plans. The overview, however, is broad and somewhat evaluative (“make the experience easier”) rather than summarising the key spatial changes. Some details are inaccurate or over-generalised: the current café is not beside check-in, and the new shops are along the wall between departures and the concourse, not clearly described as being after security. You also omit the Y-shaped concourse and the relocation of check-in. More precise comparisons of locations would strengthen the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the current and future plans. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison. However, progression within the longer paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, relying on repeated sequencing phrases such as “the first thing,” “right after that,” and “once they reach there.” Some connections are also unclear: “vice versa” does not accurately introduce the arrivals description, and “whereas” begins a sentence fragment after a full stop. Grouping changes by area—departures, arrivals, and the concourse—would make the comparisons easier to follow. Use clearer references and a wider range of linking methods rather than narrating the route through the airport.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the plans, including “redevelopment,” “introduced,” “facilities,” and “access,” and the main meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal wording, such as “blueprints” and “proposed plan.” However, some choices are imprecise or repetitive: “things” and “the other thing” are vague, while “the terminal gates” does not clearly describe the expanded concourse. “Refurbished after redevelopment” is redundant, and “runway” is not shown in the plans. Spelling errors such as “noticable” also reduce accuracy. Choose specific terms for locations and changes, and check spelling and collocations to make the description more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “which,” “whereas,” and “once,” and the reader can usually understand the intended meaning. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in long sentences joined by commas. For example, “The previous plan shows the first thing in the departure section is that they must pass by check-in” has an awkward clause structure, while “with being eight in the previous plan to eighteen” is not a well-formed comparison. There are also tense and punctuation inconsistencies, as in “were some facilities … before as well, the check-in and a cafe. whereas”. Break long sentences into clearer units, use a consistent present/past-future framework, and check clause boundaries and articles.

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