Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-03
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 depicts the information such as the opening date, the length of route and total passengers that travelled per year in the underground railway systems in six cities from 1863 to 2001.
Overall, London had the oldest and longest railway route among all countries. Tokyo had the highest number of passengers travelled in a year, while Kyoto had the lowest railway route and passengers travelled per year.
Before 1950, London had the first railway system among all cities in 1863 and the longest total route, which is 394 Kilo meters. Tokyo underground trains had opened in 1927, the highest passengers travelled in a year, that was 1927 passengers. Paris had the second highest number of passengers that travelled per year, was 1191 passengers.
After 1950, Kyoto had the shortest railway route and passengers per year, that was 11 kilo meters and 45 passengers, respectively. Los Angeles railway system had opened in 2001, the second lowest route, which is 28 kilo meters and smallest number of passengers per year was 50 in 2001. Washington DC railway track had opened in 1976, with 126 kilo meters and 144 passengers travelled in a year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all key features of the table, including the opening dates, route lengths, and passenger numbers. You successfully identified the oldest/longest system (London) and the busiest (Tokyo). However, there is a significant data error: you stated Tokyo had '1927 passengers' and Kyoto had '45 passengers', failing to note that the table provides figures in millions. This misinterpretation of the data units is a serious oversight that affects the accuracy of your summary. While you made relevant comparisons, the failure to correctly report the scale of the data prevents a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs based on a chronological split (pre- and post-1950). This structure is clear and easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Before 1950', and 'After 1950' to signal transitions. However, the referencing is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the transition between the opening date and the passenger count in the third paragraph feels a bit disjointed. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the progression of ideas is logical.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'depicts', 'railway systems', and 'respectively'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, saying 'passengers that travelled per year' is slightly redundant; 'annual passenger numbers' would be more precise. Additionally, the misuse of units (failing to mention 'millions') limits the precision of your reporting. You rely on fairly basic descriptive language, and there is limited evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations that would be expected at higher band levels.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'London had the oldest and longest railway route among all countries.' While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Tokyo underground trains had opened in 1927, the highest passengers travelled in a year, that was 1927 passengers.' The use of 'that was' is often unnecessary and creates awkward phrasing. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction that occasionally impede the flow. A wider variety of error-free complex structures is needed to reach a higher band.
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