Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-21
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 demonstrates the data of underground railway networks of six cities.It is comparison of information of six railway stations that vary from each other.
Overall, it is the comparison of various aspects such as opening, the length of routes and the proportion of passengers per year. According to provided data, London’s railway track is oldest one and Lose Angeles has opened in 2001 that is the lowest period of all.
Furthermore, the London’s railway station has started operating since 1863 that is the most ancient and has longest track of all with 394km long track.It is carrying 775 passengers per year. On the road other hand, Paris and Tokyo opened in 1900 and 1927 respectively with track of 199km and 155km long.They both bearing maximum numbers of passengers each year with proportion of 1191 and 1927.
Moreover, The Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles has been operating since 1976, 1981 and 2001 respectively. The Kyoto has the shortest track of all with only 11 km length that carry 45 passengers every year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all the requirements of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You have successfully highlighted the oldest and newest systems, as well as the extremes in track length and passenger numbers. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. For instance, while you mention the passenger numbers for Paris and Tokyo, you could have more explicitly contrasted their high usage against their relatively smaller track lengths compared to London. The overview is present but could be more concise to avoid repetition of the task prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by repetitive phrasing and some awkward transitions. For example, the opening sentences are somewhat redundant, repeating the task description rather than providing a clear, synthesized overview. The referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall progression of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'networks', 'proportion', and 'operating'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'lowest period' is not the correct way to describe a date, and 'bearing maximum numbers' is slightly unnatural. Additionally, there are minor errors such as 'Lose Angeles' (spelling) and 'on the road other hand' (idiomatic error). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensuring spelling accuracy.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the London’s railway station', 'the Washington DC') and subject-verb agreement ('The Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles has been operating'). There are also issues with punctuation and capitalization. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures and proofreading for basic grammatical slips would improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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