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 chart depicts data about the underground railway system in six major cities. It compares six networks through their opened date, size and passenger who use each year. It is clear that the three oldest underground railways more passenger used.
The London underground is the oldest system, having opened in 1863 also it has the largest route with 394 kilometers. The second largest system, in Paris, It Is a half sizes of the London with 199 kilometers of route. However, it serves more people per year. While the Tokyo is a third in size. It is more easily used, with 1927 million passengers yearly.
Other three networks system, are the newest ones. The Washington DC is excisable network with 144 kilometers route. The Kyoto has the shortest route with 11 kilometers and 25 kilometers Los Angeles system. Both are the shortest route in whole chart.
Overall, the latest three railway system serves few passengers because they have shortest route, while the oldest three has more passenger travel because they have longest route.
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 covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the six cities. You successfully highlight the oldest systems and compare them with the newer ones. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, you mention Tokyo has 1927 million passengers but do not explicitly compare this to the other cities to highlight that it is the highest figure in the table. Additionally, the statement that the three oldest railways have more passengers is a good generalisation, but it could be more precise by noting the specific contrast between the oldest systems and the newest ones like Kyoto and Los Angeles.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and an overview. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'Other three networks system, are the newest ones' is grammatically awkward and lacks a smooth transition. The use of 'While' and 'However' is present, but the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'The Kyoto has the shortest route with 11 kilometers and 25 kilometers Los Angeles system', where the structure is confusing and lacks a clear cohesive link between the two subjects.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic descriptors like 'oldest', 'newest', 'largest', and 'shortest'. There are also some word choice errors, such as 'excisable' (likely meant 'accessible' or 'extensive') and 'passenger who use each year'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the score. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to data reporting, such as 'commuter volume', 'extensive network', or 'minimal usage'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the three oldest underground railways more passenger used' (incorrect word order/tense), 'It Is a half sizes of the London' (incorrect article and pluralization), and 'The Kyoto has the shortest route... and 25 kilometers Los Angeles system' (missing verb/preposition). While these errors rarely impede the overall meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles (e.g., 'The Kyoto' is incorrect; it should just be 'Kyoto').
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