Cambridge 16 Writing Task 1 Test 3 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)

Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

The Prompt

Southwest Airport - Before and After Redevelopment

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.

Write at least 150 words.

The Data

Southwest Airport - key features: now vs after development

Departure gates: Now: 8 gates → After: 18 gates (more than doubled)

Check-in: Now: check-in desks → After: check-in desks + bag drop added

Café: Now: not present → After: added

ATM: Now: not present → After: added

Sky train: Now: not present → After: sky train connecting terminals added

Car hire: Now: not present → After: added

Walkway: Now: walkway to gates → After: retained

Security / Passport Control / Customs: Now: present → After: present (expanded)

Want feedback like this on your own writing?

Band 9

174 words

Groups the four newly-added facilities together rather than listing all eight features in table order, showing genuine data selection.

The table compares key features of Southwest Airport in its current state with how the site is planned to look following redevelopment next year.

Overall, the redevelopment substantially expands the airport's capacity and adds several passenger facilities that are currently entirely absent, while retaining only the existing walkway to the gates unchanged.

Currently, the airport has just 8 departure gates and a single row of check-in desks, alongside a walkway to the gates and existing security, passport control, and customs facilities. Notably, the airport currently lacks a café, an ATM, a sky train, and a car hire facility altogether.

After redevelopment, departure gates will more than double to 18, and a bag drop service will be added alongside the existing check-in desks. Four entirely new amenities, a café, an ATM, a sky train connecting terminals, and a car hire facility, will also be introduced. The existing walkway will be retained unchanged, while security, passport control, and customs facilities will all be expanded to accommodate the higher passenger numbers implied by the doubled gate capacity.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Accurately reports all eight features with a clear overview identifying the two genuinely notable patterns: the doubling of capacity and the introduction of four entirely new facilities.

Coherence & Cohesion: Overview precedes detail organised by current state then future state, with cohesive devices ("notably", "after redevelopment") linking clearly.

Lexical Resource: Precise, varied language ("substantially expands", "introduced", "accommodate") used accurately throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of accurate structures, including future passive forms used appropriately.

Band 8

162 words

Accurate and clearly organised, just slightly less varied in its vocabulary than a band 9 answer.

The table shows the main features of Southwest Airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

Overall, the redevelopment will greatly increase the airport's capacity and add several new facilities that do not currently exist, while the walkway to the gates will stay the same.

At the moment, the airport has 8 departure gates and check-in desks, along with a walkway and security, passport control, and customs facilities. However, there is currently no café, ATM, sky train, or car hire facility.

After the redevelopment, the number of departure gates will rise to 18, more than double the current number, and a bag drop will be added to the check-in area. A café, an ATM, a sky train, and a car hire facility will all be newly introduced, while security, passport control, and customs will be expanded to handle more passengers. Overall, these changes are designed to accommodate a much larger volume of travellers passing through the airport each day.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Covers all eight features accurately with a clear overview, including the four new facilities, though described a little more simply than in the band 9 answer.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised with an overview followed by detail grouped by current and future state; cohesive devices are accurate throughout.

Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary for describing changes, though slightly less varied than the higher-band answer's phrasing.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Accurate throughout, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including future passive forms.

Band 7

154 words

All figures are correct, but the four newly-added facilities are only loosely mentioned rather than clearly grouped together.

The table shows the features of Southwest Airport now and after it is redeveloped next year.

Overall, there will be more gates and more facilities after the redevelopment, but the walkway will stay the same.

Right now, the airport has 8 gates and check-in desks, a walkway, and security and passport control facilities. There is no café, ATM, sky train, or car hire at the moment.

After the redevelopment, there will be 18 gates, which is more than double, and a bag drop will be added. A café, ATM, sky train, and car hire will also be added, and security and passport control will be made bigger. These changes together suggest that the airport is preparing to handle significantly more passengers in the future, with more facilities available to make their time at the airport more comfortable and convenient than it currently is, especially for those travelling with families or connecting between different terminals.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports all eight features accurately with a basic overview, but the overview does not clearly group the four newly-added facilities the way the higher-band answers do.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised by current state then future state, though features are listed with fairly plain connecting language throughout.

Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task; figures are accurate but connecting language stays fairly plain throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate, mostly simple sentence structures; meaning is always clear.

Band 6.5

153 words

The figures are all correct, but agreement and passive-voice errors appear in almost every sentence.

The table show the feature of Southwest Airport now and after it is redevelop next year.

Overall, there will be more gate and more facility after the redevelopment, but the walkway will stay the same.

Right now, the airport have 8 gate and check-in desk, a walkway, and security and passport control facility. There is no café, ATM, sky train, or car hire at the moment.

After the redevelopment, there will be 18 gate, which is more than double, and bag drop will be add. A café, ATM, sky train, and car hire will also be add, and security and passport control will be make bigger. This change together suggest that the airport is preparing to handle significantly more passenger in the future, with more facility available to make their time at the airport more comfortable and convenient than it currently is, especially for those travelling with family or connecting between different terminal.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports all eight features accurately, matching the content of the band 7 answer.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised by current and future state, following the same structure as the higher-band answers.

Lexical Resource: Limited by "gate", "desk", and "facility" being used without their plural forms throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement and passive-voice errors ("table show", "airport have", "will be add") appear in nearly every sentence.

Band 4-5 - What to Avoid

32 words

No exact figures appear anywhere in the report, and most of the eight table features are never mentioned.

This table show airport now and after.

More gate will come, this is good for airport I think.

New shop and thing will be there, this is my opinion about this table.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: No exact figures are given for the gates or any other feature, most of the eight listed features are never mentioned at all, and a personal opinion is inserted, which has no place in a Task 1 report. At well under 150 words, the response is also underlength.

Coherence & Cohesion: Reads as three short, disconnected remarks rather than an organised comparison of current and future states.

Lexical Resource: Vague, repetitive vocabulary ("new shop and thing") used instead of the specific features named in the table.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors throughout ("this table show", "more gate will come").

Practise this exact prompt yourself, with a live timer and word count

Free to sign up, no credit card required.

These sample answers are written independently for Prep IELTS Now to illustrate real band-score differences. They are a study aid, not official Cambridge or IELTS material.