Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-14

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 graph compares the data of six cities underground railway networks and routes.

Overall, London railway was the oldest system along with the longest railway route, while Kyoto has the shortest kilometers of route. In terms of passengers Tokyo accounted for the highest, whereas Kyoto stood at the lowest.

In 1863, London has the longest railway network to compare with other cities and the second goes for Paris. Tokyo and Washington DC were two city with the longest railway networks after these. A considerable amount of citizens from Tokyo were travelling throughout the year, followed by Parish and London at 1191 million and 775 million in a year respectively.

Moving further, recent opened railway network in Los Angeles stood at 28 kilometer in comparison with Kyoto which which was the shortest railway route in all cities, while there was only 5 million of passengers difference between these two cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important features: London is the oldest and has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto has the shortest route and lowest passenger total. These points provide a relevant overview. However, the report does not cover the figures evenly: Washington DC’s passenger total is omitted, and the route lengths for most cities are not stated. The comparison that Tokyo and Washington have the longest networks after London and Paris is also inaccurate, since Tokyo’s 155 km exceeds Washington’s 126 km, but both are shorter than Paris’s 199 km. Develop the overview with the main extremes, then report accurate figures for all six cities and make clearer comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an overview followed by two detail paragraphs, and the information generally moves from older, larger systems to the newer, smaller ones. Linking phrases such as “Overall” and “Moving further” help signal this progression. However, some connections are unclear or mechanical: “the second goes for Paris” does not clearly explain the comparison, and the final sentence combines the Los Angeles and Kyoto figures without stating them precisely. Grouping the cities by route length or passenger numbers would make the comparisons easier to follow. Use linking expressions to show exact relationships, rather than relying on general transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “oldest system,” “longest railway route,” “accounted for the highest,” and “considerable amount.” This gives you a workable range for the task. However, several choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “table graph,” “citizens … travelling,” and “recent opened railway network.” “Parish” is also a spelling error for “Paris,” and “kilometers of route” is repeated rather than varied. Aim for precise data-reporting language and natural collocations, for example “annual passenger numbers,” “route length,” and “the most recently opened system.” Check city names and use “passengers” rather than “citizens” when describing the figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a contrast in “while Kyoto has the shortest…” and a longer comparison sentence about passenger numbers. Meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors make the relationships less clear. For example, “London has the longest railway network” shifts into the present tense while the opening date is in the past, and “Tokyo and Washington DC were two city” has a number-agreement error. The phrase “which which” repeats a relative pronoun, while “there was only 5 million of passengers difference” has problems with number, article use, and sentence construction. Use past tense consistently for opening dates, check singular and plural forms, and simplify sentences when a comparison becomes difficult to control.

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

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