Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14
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 given table illustrates the data about the underground metrostation in six different town of different nations.
Overall, the longest route by kilometers of tunnel trainway was in London similiarly the shortest way was in Kyoto. However the most number of travellers were in paris but least number was in Kyoto.
To begin with, the longest route was in London by 393 kilometers begining year in 1863. Followed by, in 1900 railway was started to run where it had 199 kilometers, where tokyo had 155 kilometers in 1927, while Washington DC had 126km, furthermore Kyoto and Los Angeles had less than 30 kilometers in 1981 and 2001 respective years.
Additionally, the highest number of passengers anually unit measured by millions were in Tokyo by nearly 2000, in addition in Paris had the around 1200, moreover London had the 775 at last Washington DC, Los Angeles and Kyoto had the less than 150 passengers 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 the requirements of the task by identifying the main features and making comparisons. You have successfully selected the key data points, such as the oldest/longest systems and the highest passenger volumes. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for example, you stated that Paris had the most passengers, but the table shows Tokyo has the highest number (1927 million). Additionally, some data points are slightly imprecise (e.g., 'nearly 2000' for Tokyo). To improve, ensure that your summary accurately reflects the data provided in the table and that your overview highlights the most significant trends or contrasts clearly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore'. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions, such as 'Followed by, in 1900 railway was started'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words more naturally and ensure that each sentence connects logically to the previous one without repetitive structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision. You use basic terms like 'town' instead of 'cities' and 'way' instead of 'route' or 'network'. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'metrostation' (should be two words) and 'annually unit'. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to data description, such as 'commuters', 'annual ridership', 'extensive', or 'minimal'. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you describe the data more professionally and accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect preposition usage ('in 1900 railway was started'), missing articles ('the most number of travellers'), and awkward sentence construction ('similiarly the shortest way was in Kyoto'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency also need attention. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity. Focusing on basic sentence structure, correct article usage, and ensuring that your verbs agree with their subjects will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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