Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-10

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 table illustrates the information regarding the underground railway systems in various cities, including London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles.

Overall, it is clear that the London railway is the longest and oldest route. While, Tokyo is used the most by passengers

London railway was created in 1863, which is the oldest way, followed by Paris railway in 1900. While, Tokyo, Washington DC, and Kyoto were built in 1900, 1927, and 1981, respectivily. Whereas the Los Angeles railway was built in 2001.

The London railway ranked first by its length, which 394 KM, followed by the Paris railway by 199 KM. Whereas, the Washington DC, Tokyo, and Los Angeles railways are 126, 155, and 28, respectively. In contrast, Kyoto railway is the shortest route only 11 KM.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the table’s subject and give a useful overview by noting that London has the oldest and longest system and Tokyo carries the most passengers. However, the report is incomplete: it gives no passenger figures for any city, so the major differences in annual use are not described, and several route-length comparisons are missing or unclear. For example, the sentence listing Washington, Tokyo and Los Angeles gives figures in an order that does not match the cities, making the comparison confusing. There is also a factual error: Tokyo opened in 1927, but the response places it among systems built in 1900. The response is 20 words below the required minimum. Include the key figures and compare the extremes accurately to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. This helps the reader identify the topic and the main comparisons. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is uneven, and some linking devices are used awkwardly or repeatedly. For instance, “While” and “Whereas” begin fragments rather than connecting complete comparisons, while “In contrast” introduces Kyoto without a clear contrast with the preceding figures. The sequence of cities and numbers in the route-length paragraph is also difficult to follow. Grouping the older, longer systems together and then comparing the newer, shorter ones, with each figure clearly attached to its city, would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a table, including “illustrates,” “ranked first,” “followed by,” and “shortest route.” These choices show an attempt to vary the language rather than simply repeat the table headings. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the oldest way,” “was created,” and “used the most by passengers.” Spelling errors, including “respectivily,” also reduce accuracy. Use precise terms consistently: a railway system “opened” or “began operating,” and it “carried” a number of passengers annually. Check spelling and choose expressions that describe the data directly; this will make the report clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at more complex structures, such as “London railway was created in 1863, which is the oldest way.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but sentence boundaries and clause construction are not consistently controlled. “Overall, it is clear that … While, Tokyo is used the most by passengers” leaves a dependent clause incomplete, and the later “While” and “Whereas” openings create similar fragments. The phrase “which 394 KM” is also missing a grammatical link, such as “at 394 km.” Improve control by joining contrast clauses to complete main clauses and checking articles and sentence punctuation. More accurate complex sentences would make the comparisons easier to read.

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