Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-04
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 in six cities the underground railway systems.
Overall, it is evident that Tokyo recorded highest amount of passengers per year, while, Kyoto experienced the lowest proportion among other cities. By contrast, Paris accounted second highest whears London has one of the longest road.
In 1927, Tokyo has 155 kilometers of route stated and get the highest amount of passengers per year about 1927 millions. On the other hand, Paris begain in 1900, withe 199 kilometers of road and get 1191 millions of passengers per year, this is the second highest volume. In addition, London commence in 1863, interestingly, they have 394 kilometers of route, although, they stand at the third position with 775 millions passengers. Likewise, Washington DC, launched in 1976 with 126 kilometers and get 144 millions passengers.
Furthermore, Kyoto started before Los Angeles but Kyoto experienced lowest passengers about the 45 millions, on the other hand, Los Angeles recorded 50 millions passengers in 2001 and Kyoto open in 1981 with 11 kilometers of route , whereas Los Angeles has 28 kilometers of 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 | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all the key features of the table, including the oldest and newest systems, the longest routes, and the passenger volume extremes. You have successfully identified the main trends, such as Tokyo's high passenger numbers despite a smaller route network compared to London. However, the report could be improved by grouping the data more logically; for instance, comparing the older, established systems (London, Paris) against the newer ones (Kyoto, LA) would provide a more analytical overview. The summary is generally accurate, though the phrasing 'proportion' is slightly inaccurate as you are reporting raw numbers rather than percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'In addition', 'Likewise', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing (e.g., 'this is the second highest volume'). The referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression within the third paragraph is slightly cluttered by trying to list too many statistics in one sentence. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'recorded', 'accounted', and 'commence'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'whears' (whereas), 'begain' (began), and 'withe' (with). Additionally, the phrase 'longest road' is not the most precise term for 'kilometers of route'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider range of precise, topic-specific collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include tense inconsistency (e.g., 'Tokyo has 155 kilometers' instead of 'had' or 'has'), subject-verb agreement errors ('Kyoto open in 1981'), and punctuation issues, particularly with comma splices. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain errors that slightly impede the clarity of the comparison. To reach a higher band, focus on maintaining consistent verb tenses when describing historical data and ensuring that complex sentences are punctuated correctly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.