The plans below show the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Sample Response
The two maps represent the current layout of Southwest Airport and the proposed redevelopment that is planned for next yearwill take place next year after the renovation work is complete.
OverallGenerally speaking, the airport is set to undergo a substantial transformation, with an expansion from 8 to 18 gates, a new sky train, and additional passenger facilitiesnotable additions and improvements in infrastructure, passenger facilities, and accessibility.
At present, Southwest Airport consists of a terminal divided into departure and arrival areassingle terminal designated for departures and arrivals, with departures on the left and arrivals on the rightpositioned on the left and right ends of the airport. A small walkway leads to the gates, which are accessed via a narrow concourse. The airport facilities are currently limitedfacilities now are limited, with only a café and a check-in area in the departure area, and the arrivals area is virtually empty.
As the airport development plan suggests, the gate concourse will be expanded from 8 to 18 gatesthe terminal will be expanded significantly with 18 gates, new amenities and additional entrancesmore departure and arrival areas. In the departure area, the check-in counter will be relocated to the right, making room for a new bag drop. Additional features such as a café, ATM, and car hire services will be incorporated into the terminal's arrival area, enhancing passenger convenience. A sky train will be introduced to connect the main terminal to the newly added gates, which will increase from 8 to 18. Therefore, the proposed upgrades to Southwest Airport will greatly enhance its functionality, capacity, and passenger experience.
Why this response received Band 7.5
This is a well-organised, fluent comparison that accurately highlights the gate expansion, sky train, relocated check-in, bag drop, and new arrivals facilities. The overview is rather general, and the report omits the shops and the changed Y-shaped gate layout while inaccurately implying that additional departure and arrival areas will be created. Make the overview more concrete and ensure every claimed structural change is visible on the plans.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
Most major changes are selected and accurately described, but the overview lacks specific key features and a few structural details are omitted or imprecise.
State the doubled gate capacity and Y-shaped concourse in the overview, then add the shops without claiming extra departure or arrival areas.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses logically from overview to the present layout and proposed changes, with clear paragraphing and generally effective cohesion.
Replace the evaluative concluding sentence with one final factual comparison so the report remains tightly focused.
Lexical Resource
A broad and mostly precise range of map language is used naturally, with only occasional vague or awkward phrasing.
Use exact spatial terms such as ‘departure and arrival halls’ and ‘Y-shaped concourse’ instead of broad references to areas and infrastructure.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled with strong accuracy, and the few awkward constructions do not impede communication.
Refine word order in phrases such as ‘the airport facilities are currently limited’ to make otherwise accurate sentences fully natural.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The plans below show the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.