Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-28
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 given a information about the underground railway systems in six cities.
Overall,on the table kyoto city closer than all the city. It is only 11 kilometers. London city away then all the city. It is a 394 kilometers.
In a London city railway station opened in 1863, that route away other than cities, it is a 394 kilometers. It railway station used 775 millions Peoples. Paris railway station opened in 1900.
year. His railway station away from a 199 kilometers from a city and 1191 million peoples used a per year. Tokyo city railway station opened on 1927. his railway station 155 kilometers away from a city. 1927 millions passengers used a per year.
Kyoto city then first opened a washington on DC. Washington on DC opened in 1976 and kyoto opened in 1981. In a washington on DC railway station 126 kilometers away from a city and In a kyoto railway station only 11 kilometers away from a city. On washington on DC passengers used railway station more than
kyoto city passengers. Los Ang Los Angeles railway station
opened in 2001 and it only 28 kilometres away form a
city. 50 millions peoples used a railway station per year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all the cities and data points provided in the table, fulfilling the basic requirements of the task. However, the summary is somewhat mechanical, listing data rather than synthesising it effectively. The 'overall' section is underdeveloped and contains inaccurate interpretations, such as stating Kyoto is 'closer' than all other cities, which is a misinterpretation of the 'kilometers of route' column. While the main features are identified, the comparison is weak and lacks a clear analytical focus. To improve, you should group the data more logically—for example, by comparing the oldest systems with the newest, or the largest with the smallest—rather than describing each city in isolation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is very limited and often inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'In a London city' or 'his railway station'. The transition between sentences is often abrupt, making the text feel like a list of isolated facts rather than a cohesive report. Paragraphing is present but does not effectively group related information, which hinders the flow of the argument. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', 'Conversely') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You frequently use the same phrases, such as 'railway station' and 'away from a city', which is an incorrect collocation for describing route length. There are also errors in word choice, such as '1927 millions passengers', which confuses the date with the passenger count. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, try to use more precise terminology for describing data, such as 'spans', 'serves', 'commenced operations', or 'annual passenger volume', and avoid repeating the same sentence structures throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The grammar is frequently inaccurate, which often impedes the reader's understanding. There are consistent errors with articles ('The table given a information'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper punctuation. For example, 'His railway station away from a 199 kilometers' is grammatically incorrect and confusing. While there is an attempt to use some complex structures, they are almost always faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb-object patterns, and pay close attention to the correct use of prepositions and articles. Regular practice with proofreading for basic grammatical errors will be highly beneficial.
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