Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10
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 take shows the information about the underground railway systems in six cities which includes London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles.
These railways where opened from 1863 down to 2001, in which London railway was the first to operate in the year 1863, then Paris in 1900, Tokyo in 1927,Washington DC opened in 1976,Kyoto in 1981 and Los Angles in 2001.
However, London railway has the greatest kilometers of route while as Kyoto has the lowest with number being 11.
Also passengers who uses these railway were in millions per year and London railway has 775 million persons per year and in 1900 the number increased in Paris railway to 1191 which also had a massively added to 1927 in Tokyo in the year 1927.
Moreso, in the year 1976, railways started having low turnout on passengers with Washington DC which got 45 passengers and Los Angeles having 50 passengers per 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 | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all the data points provided in the table, including dates, route lengths, and passenger numbers. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you have listed the data, you have not effectively grouped or compared the information to highlight key trends. For instance, the distinction between older, larger systems like London and Paris versus newer, smaller systems like Kyoto and Los Angeles could have been more clearly articulated. Additionally, there are factual inaccuracies in your interpretation of the data, such as misstating the passenger numbers for Washington DC and Los Angeles, which significantly impacts the accuracy of your summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally awkward, such as 'while as' and 'massively added to'. Some sentences are disjointed, making the flow feel repetitive. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the passenger numbers, which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the cities. Improved use of linking words and better paragraph transitions would enhance the logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic descriptors like 'greatest', 'lowest', and 'low turnout'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'massively added to' and 'turnout on passengers'. To improve, you should aim to use more academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'the most extensive', 'minimal', or 'a significant increase'. The range is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility needed for a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'These railways where opened' (should be 'were'), 'passengers who uses' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'which also had a massively added to' (incorrect grammatical structure). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas in several places. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of basic sentence construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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