Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-08

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The take below gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Underground Railway Systems

City	Date opened	Kilometers of route	Passengers per year (in millions)
London	1863	394	775
Paris	1900	199	1191
Tokyo	1927	155	1927
Washington DC	1976	126	144
Kyoto	1981	11	45
Los Angeles	2001	28	50

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given table demonstrates information about the underground railway systems in six cities including name London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles. The table provided date when it opened added every railway distance route based in kilometers. In additional, shows passengers travelled per years in millons by using train.

Overall, calculated the highest number of travelled people by railway is Tokyo around 1927 millions of passengers. It invented in 1927 and the distance of route is 155 kilometers. The lowest city where people used to travelled 45 millions by train is Kyoto and Los Angeles it's total distance is 11,28 kilometers opened on 1981 and next 2001.

To begin, London is the oldest railway compared to others opened on 1863 which distance is 394 most longest route than others cities. In per year 775 millions passengers travelled by train. Paris city passengers used railway around 1191 which is second highest and 199 KM of route. At last city Washington DC it's opened in 1976 with 126 KM distance of route and travelled of individuals per years 144 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the table’s subject and report several key comparisons, including Tokyo’s highest annual passenger figure, Kyoto’s lowest, and London’s oldest opening date and longest route. You also include figures for Paris and Washington DC. However, some information is unclear or inaccurate: “Kyoto and Los Angeles it's total distance is 11,28 kilometers” appears to combine the two cities’ route lengths, and the passenger figures for these cities are not clearly distinguished. The overview focuses mainly on passenger numbers and does not clearly summarise the broader pattern across all three measures. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the oldest/largest systems and the newest/smallest ones, then report each city’s figures accurately and separately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with further comparisons. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “Overall” and “To begin” signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression is not consistently clear. The overview moves from Tokyo to Kyoto and Los Angeles in a sentence that merges their route lengths, while “At last city Washington DC” does not clearly connect with the preceding comparison. Some linking phrases feel mechanical rather than showing precise relationships. Grouping the cities by a clear feature—for example, the oldest and longest systems, followed by the newer and shorter ones—and using clear references to each city would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a table, including “passengers,” “distance,” “route,” and “opened,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning awkward, such as “travelled people,” “It invented,” and “most longest route.” There are also spelling and form errors, including “millons,” and repeated use of “route” and “passengers.” Choose precise terms for the data, such as “annual passenger numbers,” “route length,” and “was opened,” and avoid adding words that do not fit the meaning. More accurate vocabulary would help you express comparisons without ambiguity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the response includes some understandable statements, such as “Paris city passengers used railway around 1191.” However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to interpret. Examples include the incomplete construction “The table provided date when it opened,” the faulty clause “Overall, calculated the highest number,” and the sentence “The lowest city where people used to travelled 45 millions by train is Kyoto.” Verb forms, articles, sentence boundaries, and agreement need more consistent control. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use straightforward patterns such as “The system opened in…” and “It carried … million passengers annually.”

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