Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-01
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 provides data related to the underground railway systems in six cities. Overview the information by choosing and discussing the important features and do comparisons where relevant. Overall, the table is being about cities, when will the railway station open, how long the rout and how many passenger per year travel.
In the table, Tokyo is the highest city according to the passenger per year in millions 1927 which opened at 1927 and its route is 155 kilometers as compare to Kyoto where only 45 travelers and being opened at 1981 contain 11 kilometers of route. While London has long route as compare to other cities it carry 394 kilometers which started at 1863 with 775 travelers and the second last city is Los Angeles with 28 kilometers of route commend at 2001 where only 50 passengers travel. On the other hand, Paris started at 1927 with 199 kilometers of route with 1191 passengers moreover Washington DC carry 126 kilometers of route with 144 passengers at 1976.
To conclude this table there is a rambling between each factor of the table according to con
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 attempts to summarize the data, but it fails to provide a clear overview of the main trends. The introduction is poorly constructed, essentially repeating the prompt instructions rather than summarizing the data. Furthermore, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly with a trailing sentence fragment. While some data points are mentioned, the comparison between cities is often inaccurate (e.g., stating Paris opened in 1927 when the table shows 1900). The lack of a proper conclusion and the inclusion of irrelevant filler text significantly detract from the task achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The organization of the response is weak. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the flow of ideas is disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and often misused, such as the repetitive use of 'as compare to'. The final paragraph is incomplete and incoherent, which disrupts the logical progression of the text. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall structure lacks the necessary cohesion to guide the reader effectively through the data comparison.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is limited and frequently inaccurate. There are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'highest city according to the passenger' and 'rambling between each factor'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles to express comparisons precisely. Some phrases are awkward, such as 'the table is being about cities'. To improve, the student needs to focus on using more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends and data relationships rather than relying on repetitive, informal phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with verb tense consistency (e.g., 'when will the railway station open' instead of 'when the systems opened'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are poorly formed, such as 'London has long route as compare to other cities it carry 394 kilometers'. The use of complex structures is attempted but usually results in errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, and the incomplete ending further highlights the lack of control over sentence construction.
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