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 chart shows the number of passengers of underground railways system per year in different cities.

Overall the number of passengers in Tokyo was highest in underground railways and the lowest number of passengers were in Kyoto.

Initally in 1927 in Tokyo when underground railways syestem was opened the total route of kilometers were 155 and passengers were 1927 million in the whole year. Moreover the Paris was at low number of passengers as compared to tokyo with 199 kilometers and 1191 million of passengers the was opened in 1900. However london also contributed as the third largest number of passengers opened in 1863 with 394 kilimeters routes and 775 million of passengers in the year.

Moreover the lowest number of passengers were in Kyoto in which the underground railways syestem was opened in 1981 with only 11 kilometers of route and 45 million of passengers by comparing with Los Angeles that was opened in 2001 with 28 kilometers route and 50 million of passengers after all Washington DC was opened in 1976 with 126 kilometers of router and 144 million of passengers Washington DC was at the best as compared to Kyoto and Los Angeles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main extremes: Tokyo has the highest annual passenger figure, while Kyoto has the lowest, and you include figures for all six cities. This gives the reader a relevant overview and several useful comparisons. However, the summary does not clearly report the table’s main features across all three measures. For example, London has the longest route, but this is not highlighted; nor do you clearly compare the opening dates, from London as the oldest system to Los Angeles as the newest. Some descriptions are also inaccurate or unclear, such as calling Paris’s passenger total “low” after comparing it with Tokyo. Select the key rankings and contrasts, then describe them precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overview followed by two paragraphs that broadly group the higher and lower passenger figures, so there is some organisation. However, progression within the paragraphs is difficult to follow: the first moves from Tokyo to Paris and London, while the second shifts among Kyoto, Los Angeles and Washington without a clear comparison pattern. Linking words such as “Moreover,” “However,” and “after all” are repetitive or do not show the relationship accurately. The final Washington sentence repeats information and ends with an unclear comparison. Organise the details by a consistent feature—for example, highest to lowest passenger numbers—and use concise links that make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “passengers,” “route,” “kilometers,” and “opened,” and the reader can generally identify the figures being discussed. However, the range is limited and several phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “the number of passengers of underground railways system” and “at the best.” Repetition of “number of passengers” and “opened” also makes the report less precise. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “Initally,” “syestem,” and “kilimeters,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for standard chart-reporting collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe a system as having the “highest annual ridership” rather than being “at the best.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts longer sentences and uses some subordinate structures, such as “when underground railways system was opened” and “by comparing with Los Angeles.” However, these attempts are often faulty, and sentence boundaries are not consistently controlled. For instance, “Moreover the Paris was at low number of passengers as compared to tokyo with 199 kilometers and 1191 million of passengers the was opened in 1900” combines several ideas without a clear grammatical structure. There are also recurring problems with articles, agreement, and plural forms, as in “the total route of kilometers were 155.” Use shorter, complete sentences first, then add comparisons with accurate clauses and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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