Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-13

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 compares information about the underground railway systems in six cities. The results are represented in numbers. Overall, London railway opened in 1863 reported as the largest route whereas Tokyo is represented to have the highest numebr of passengers per year.

To begin with, the longest route owned by London which is 394 kilometers followed by Paris and Tokyo. In contrast, Kyoto railway given as the smallest route of 11 kilometers length. Furthermore, railway in Los Angeles opened in 2001 whereas Washington DC opened in 1976, showing the the considerable diffrences in route 126 kilometers and 28 kilometers respectively.

Initially, 1927 million passengers per year used Tokyo railway, owning the largest proportion of the total number of passengers. The secondly used railway is Paris built in 1900 followed by London. The Washington DC railway opened in 1976 got 144 million passengers per year. There is a slight gap of 5 million between the number of passengers between Los Angeles and Kyoto.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrasts: London has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto has the shortest route. You also include several relevant figures, such as London’s 394 km and Tokyo’s 1,927 million passengers. However, coverage is uneven: the overview does not mention that Kyoto has the fewest passengers, and the body omits the route and passenger figures for some cities. The comparison that Paris is the second most-used system is not supported with its figure, while “largest proportion of the total” is imprecise for a table reporting annual totals. To strengthen the response, summarise the key extremes accurately and compare all six systems using the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs. Its information is generally grouped by route length and passenger numbers, and linking phrases such as “In contrast” and “Furthermore” help signal relationships. However, progression is sometimes unclear: the second paragraph shifts from route lengths to opening dates, and the final paragraph begins “Initially” even though it discusses passenger totals. Some connections are also awkward or repetitive, including “the number of passengers between Los Angeles and Kyoto.” Organise each paragraph around one clear comparison, and use transitions that accurately describe the relationship between the figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “route,” “passengers per year,” “longest” and “smallest,” so the main subject is usually clear. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “results are represented in numbers,” “railway given as,” and “owning the largest proportion” do not describe the table naturally. There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “numebr” and “diffrences,” and repeated use of “railway” makes the wording less precise. Choose standard data-reporting language and check spelling carefully; for example, describe a system as carrying passengers or having a route of a stated length.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a comparison introduced by “whereas” and a participial phrase beginning “showing.” However, some sentences are incomplete or have faulty clause structure: “The longest route owned by London” lacks a finite verb, and “Kyoto railway given as the smallest route” is also missing one. There are further errors in articles and sentence construction, as in “London railway opened in 1863 reported as the largest route.” The repeated “the the” is a punctuation-related editing slip. Use complete subject–verb sentences, such as “London has the longest route,” and check that each clause has a clear grammatical structure.

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