Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 gives information about the underground railway system in six cities.

Overall, given the six city and their name, date opened, kilometers of route, passengers per year in millions. Tokyo one of the most passengers per year in 1927 millions. While, Kyoto and Los Angeles is the lowest its only 45millions and 50millions.

On the one hand, As the compared to Paris and tokyo is on the top in table Paris dare opened in 1900, kilometers of route 199, and passengers per year is 1191 millions, while Tokyo date date opened in 1927, 155 route, per year passengers 1927 millions. London is the third most date opened in 1863 and kilometers of route is 394 and per year 775.

On the other hand, Kyoto and Los Ageles is the bottom of the table 1981, 2001, date opened, 11, 28, route, per year only 45millions, and 50 millions. Washington Dc is the single one opened in 1976 and route is 126 and per years 144milions passengers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the table’s subject and include figures for all six cities, with relevant comparisons between the larger and smaller systems. The overview also correctly highlights Tokyo’s highest annual passenger total and Kyoto and Los Angeles as the lowest. However, some key features are unclear or inaccurately described: “Tokyo one of the most passengers per year in 1927 millions” confuses the passenger figure with the opening date, and calling London “the third most date opened” does not identify its standout feature, which is the longest route. To strengthen the response, give a clear overview of the main contrasts, then report the figures accurately and explain comparisons rather than listing them in a confusing order.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has an identifiable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the larger and smaller systems. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within sentences is often difficult to follow, particularly in “Paris dare opened in 1900, kilometers of route 199,” where the figures are presented as fragments rather than connected information. The transitions “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” are also somewhat mechanical and do not clearly signal the comparisons being made. Use complete sentences and organise the data consistently—for example, compare route length first and passenger numbers second—to make the relationships easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “underground railway,” “kilometers of route,” and “passengers per year,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or awkward, such as “the single one opened,” “the bottom of the table,” and “Tokyo one of the most passengers.” These choices sometimes make the intended comparison unclear. There are also spelling and form errors, including “Ageles” and “milions,” which reduce precision. Build a more varied set of accurate terms for describing data, such as “recorded,” “carried,” “longest network,” and “lowest annual ridership,” and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentence forms, including a comparison using “while,” and the response is divided into sentences and paragraphs. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and many sentences are incomplete or have errors in agreement, articles, and verb forms. For example, “Kyoto and Los Angeles is the lowest” needs a plural verb and a clearer noun, while “Tokyo one of the most passengers” is missing a verb and has an incorrect construction. The sentence beginning “Overall, given the six city…” is also not a complete, clear sentence. Practise writing complete subject–verb sentences first, then add comparisons with accurate forms such as “Tokyo carries…” and “whereas Kyoto and Los Angeles have…”.

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