Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-27
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 data including the opening date, length of the routes and the number of passengers travelled per year about the underground railway systems of London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles.
Overall, London has the oldest and longest underground railway system, whereas Los Angeles has the newest one. In terms of annual passengers, Tokyo is by far the busiest one, while Kyoto carries the fewest passengers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 70 words long. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you have identified the main features—such as London having the oldest system and Tokyo having the highest passenger numbers—the lack of length prevents you from providing a comprehensive summary or making sufficient comparisons across all six cities. To improve, you must expand your analysis by including more data points and detailed comparisons, ensuring you reach the required word count to fully cover all parts of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is too short to demonstrate a full range of cohesive devices or effective paragraphing. While the introduction and the brief overview are logically sequenced, the lack of body paragraphs means there is no clear progression of ideas. To achieve a higher score, you need to structure your response into distinct paragraphs—typically an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs—and use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'in contrast', 'furthermore', 'consequently') to connect your points smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is accurate and appropriate for the task, such as 'illustrates', 'annual passengers', and 'busiest'. However, the range is quite limited due to the brevity of the text. You have not demonstrated the ability to use a wide range of vocabulary or less common lexical items. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and descriptive language to discuss the data, such as 'commuters', 'extensive network', or 'significant disparity'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The sentences produced are grammatically correct and clear, showing a basic level of control. However, the response lacks a variety of complex sentence structures. Because the text is so short, it is difficult to assess your ability to maintain accuracy over a longer piece of writing. To improve, focus on integrating more complex structures, such as relative clauses or passive voice constructions, while maintaining the accuracy you have shown in these simple sentences.
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