Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-06
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 provided table illustrates data regarding the underground railway systems in six cities.
Overall, the first railway system was operated in 1863, in the city of London. This idea expanded significantly throughout various cities like Paris, Tokyo, Washington, Kyoto and Los Angeles.
The latest railway system was constructed in Los Angeles, which entertained only 50 passengers annually. However, the one in Paris had the second longest route of 199 kilometers with 1191 million passengers traveling per year. In comparison, the shortest path were of Kyoto and Los Angeles having a route of 11 and 28 kilometers respectively. Additionally, Tokyo accounted for the highest number of passengers Among all the paths, London had the most extended route of 394 kilometers, whereas it accommodated 775 citizen per year, third highest in the table.
As the years passed, the route length gradually decreased from 394 kilometers to around 50 kilometers. Resultantly, the proportion of passengers also declined over the years, in 2001,, only 50 passengers were recorded traveling per year.
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 key features of the table, including the oldest and newest systems, route lengths, and passenger numbers. However, the analysis in the final paragraph is factually incorrect and misinterprets the data. You state that route length 'gradually decreased' over time, which is a misreading of the data; the table shows different cities with different characteristics, not a chronological progression of a single system. While you identify the main features, this analytical error prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure your summary accurately reflects the relationship between the data points rather than imposing a false narrative of decline.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In comparison', and 'Additionally' are used to link ideas. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is slightly abrupt, and the final paragraph's logic is flawed due to the misinterpretation of the data. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow of information could be improved by grouping the cities more effectively (e.g., by age or by size) rather than jumping between them.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'illustrated', 'constructed', 'annually', and 'proportion'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'entertained' to describe passenger numbers (which is not appropriate in this context) and 'citizen' instead of 'passengers'. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Focusing on more academic collocations related to data description would enhance your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the shortest path were of Kyoto' (subject-verb agreement), 'Among all the paths' (capitalization error), and 'in 2001,, only 50 passengers' (punctuation error). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and ensure that your punctuation is accurate, particularly when using commas.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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