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)

In this box diagram, we have different underground railway systems which are based out of six cities. Then second colomn is based on Date opened for railway tracks. While in third colomn, it is about the kilometers pathway for each city. Lastly, the colomun in end shows the passengers travelled per annum in quantity of millions.

Moving forward, we can see that London railway track is one of the oldest. It has long kilometers of route with foot-fall of 775 passengers per year. And then Paris, it has 199 kiolmeters of route with 1191 passengers per year which is good number od riders. Tokyo, with 155km route and 1927 passengers which is quite big number in comparison to other cities. Then DC has 126km route which is normal and 144 rides for a year. On other hand. we have Kyoto which is very low with kilometers of route 11, with low passengers ratio of 45. Last not least, Los Angeles railway track has 28km route with just 50 passengers a year which is quite slow railway track.

Furthermore, doing comparison, we see the London, Paris and Tokyo are the most traffic oriented routes for the passengers. There should be measures taken place for security with highly foot-fall rate, safe tracks for underground geography, more trains to be on time, and networking enginners for better coordination for train route and timings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all the data points provided in the table, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you successfully identify the main features, such as London being the oldest and Tokyo having the highest passenger volume, the comparisons are often simplistic. Crucially, the final paragraph introduces irrelevant personal opinions and suggestions regarding security and engineering, which are not present in the data. In an IELTS Academic Task 1, you must strictly report and compare the provided information without adding external commentary or recommendations. To improve, focus on grouping the data more effectively (e.g., comparing older systems with newer ones) and ensure all content remains objective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'Moving forward' and 'Last not least'. The progression of ideas within the second paragraph is a bit repetitive, as you list each city individually rather than synthesising the data into clear trends or categories. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the data description and the final paragraph is abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and focusing on logical grouping would enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'quantity of millions', 'foot-fall of 775 passengers', and 'slow railway track'. Some terms are used incorrectly, such as 'colomn' (spelling error) and 'pathway' to describe a railway route. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more precise terminology for data reporting, such as 'annual ridership' or 'extensive network', and ensure that your spelling is accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'London railway track is one of the oldest' (missing article), '1927 passengers which is quite big number' (missing articles and quantifiers), and 'doing comparison, we see the London...'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of full stops where commas would be more appropriate. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and refining your sentence structure to ensure that your complex sentences are grammatically sound.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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