Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 3 Writing Task 1: Airport Redevelopment
Cambridge IELTS 16 · Test 3 · Academic Writing Task 1Map / plan
Two plans show Southwest Airport as it is now and as it will look after redevelopment next year. They compare the terminal building, divided into a departures side and an arrivals side, and the pier of gates, together with the facilities in each area.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The plans below show the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
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Key features to report
- The main change is the size of the gate area: the current straight pier with 8 gates will be replaced by a much longer Y-shaped pier with 18 gates.
- Passengers now use a walkway to reach the gates, but after redevelopment a sky train will run along the stem of the Y-shaped pier.
- Shops will be added where the departures side of the terminal joins the pier; there are no shops at present.
- On the departures side, security and passport control and the check-in area remain, a bag drop will be added, and the café will be relocated from near security to beside the departure exits.
- The arrivals side, which currently has only passport control and customs, will gain a café and an ATM, and the building will be extended at one corner to make room for a car hire desk.
- Because the second plan shows the future, the changes must be described with future forms such as will be added or is going to be replaced.
Model overview
Overall, the airport will be considerably expanded and better equipped, with the most striking change being a much larger, Y-shaped gate area served by a sky train. In addition, both the departures and arrivals sides of the terminal will gain new passenger facilities, with the arrivals hall changing most.
Paragraph plan
- 1
Introduction
Paraphrase the task: the plans compare the current layout of Southwest Airport with its planned layout after redevelopment next year.
- 2
Overview
Give the two main points without detail: the gate area will be greatly enlarged and redesigned, and more facilities will be provided in the terminal, especially in arrivals.
- 3
Body paragraph 1: gates and access
Describe the change from a short pier with 8 gates and a walkway to a Y-shaped pier with 18 gates and a sky train, and mention the new shops at the entrance to the pier.
- 4
Body paragraph 2: the terminal building
Explain what stays the same (security and passport control, check-in, passport control and customs) and what changes: a new bag drop and a relocated café in departures, and a café, an ATM and a car hire desk in an extension on the arrivals side.
Useful comparisons
- Contrast the gate area: 8 gates on a straight pier now versus 18 gates on a Y-shaped pier in the future.
- Contrast the transport links to the gates: a walkway now versus a sky train after redevelopment.
- Compare the two halves of the terminal: departures gets modest additions, while arrivals changes from having no facilities to having three.
- Group features that remain unchanged: the division into departures and arrivals, security and passport control, passport control and customs, and the check-in area.
- Mention the only change to the terminal's outline: an extension in the corner of the arrivals hall for car hire.
- Use location language: at the entrance to the pier, beside the departure exits, in the corner of the arrivals hall, along the stem of the pier.
Band 8+ model answer
210 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.
The plans compare the present layout of Southwest Airport with how it will look once it has been redeveloped next year.
Overall, the airport is set to be considerably expanded and better equipped. The most striking change will be a far larger, Y-shaped gate area served by a sky train, while the terminal building will gain a range of new passenger facilities, particularly on the arrivals side.
At present, passengers reach eight gates along a short, straight pier by means of a walkway. After the redevelopment, this pier will be replaced by a much longer Y-shaped structure containing 18 gates, more than double the current number, and a sky train will run along its central section. In addition, shops will be built at the entrance to the pier.
The terminal itself will keep its basic division into departures and arrivals. On the departures side, security, passport control and check-in will remain, but a bag drop will be introduced, and the café will be relocated from near security to beside the departure exits. The arrivals hall, which currently contains nothing beyond passport control and customs, will be transformed: a café and an ATM will be added, and the building will be extended at one corner to accommodate a car hire office.
Why this answer scores highly
- Task Achievement
- The answer selects the key changes, including the gate numbers, the sky train and the new facilities on both sides, states clearly what stays the same, and gives an overview of expansion and improved facilities.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Information is organised by area, first the gates and then the terminal, and location phrases with linkers such as meanwhile, in contrast and by far guide the reader logically.
- Lexical Resource
- Map vocabulary such as pier, Y-shaped, relocated, extended and replaced by is used accurately, and the airport facilities are named precisely.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Future passive forms like will be replaced and is set to gain are combined with present tenses for the current layout, relative clauses and comparatives, with no errors.
Useful vocabulary
- redevelopment
- the process of rebuilding or improving an existing site
- terminal building
- the main airport building where passengers check in and arrive
- pier
- a long section of an airport building that leads to the boarding gates
- Y-shaped
- having the shape of the letter Y, with two arms branching from one stem
- boarding gates
- the points where passengers get on aircraft
- sky train
- an automated train that carries passengers between parts of an airport
- be replaced by
- be removed and have something else put in its place
- be relocated
- be moved to a different position
- bag drop
- a desk where passengers leave luggage to be loaded onto the plane
- car hire
- a service that rents cars to travellers
- be extended
- be made larger by adding a new section
- remain unchanged
- stay the same as before
- more than double
- increase to over twice the original number, e.g. from 8 to 18
Common mistakes
- Using the past tense to describe the changes, when the redevelopment will happen next year and needs future forms.
- Miscounting the gates: there are 8 now and 18 after redevelopment.
- Forgetting the features that remain the same, which helps the reader understand the comparison.
- Missing smaller but important changes such as the new shops, the relocated café or the extension for car hire.
- Describing the location of facilities vaguely, for example a café is added somewhere, instead of saying which side of the terminal it is on.
- Writing no overview, or an overview that only lists new facilities without saying the airport will be expanded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Cambridge book is this question from?
- This map of Southwest Airport now and after redevelopment is Writing Task 1 of Test 3 in Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic, published in 2021.
- Which tense should I use for this map?
- Use the present simple for the current layout and future forms, often the future passive such as will be added or will be replaced, for the changes planned for next year.
- Do I need to mention every gate number?
- No. Report the total number of gates now and in the future, 8 and 18, rather than the position of each individual gate.
- How many words should I write?
- Write at least 150 words; about 170-200 words is enough to cover the main changes and the overview.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.