Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-22
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 illustrates the information about the underground railway systems in six cities, including their opening dates, route length in kilometers, and the number of passengers per year, measured in millions.
Overall, it is evident that the London railway system is the oldest, has the longest length, whereas the Los Angeles railway system is the newest. In terms of annual passengers, Tokyo recorded the highest number, while Kyoto had the lowest number.
In detail, the London railway system was opened in 1863, has a route length of 394 kilometers, and carries 775 million passengers per year. In contrast, the Paris railway system was opened in 1900, has a route length of 199 kilometers, and transports 1191 passengers per year. Tokyo was established in 1927, has a route length of 155 kilometers, and totaled 1927 million passengers per year.
The Washington DC railway system was opened in 1976. It has a route length of 126 kilometers, and
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides a clear overview and selects key features, such as the oldest/longest system and the highest passenger volume. However, the response is incomplete; it stops abruptly mid-sentence while describing Washington DC, failing to include data for Kyoto and Los Angeles. This omission means the task is not fully addressed. While the initial summary and the data provided for the first three cities are accurate and relevant, the failure to complete the report significantly impacts the overall achievement of the task requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response uses a logical structure, starting with an introduction and an overview, followed by body paragraphs. Cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'while' are used effectively to link ideas. However, because the text ends abruptly, the paragraphing is incomplete and the overall progression is cut short. Despite this, the sentences that are present are logically sequenced and easy to follow, demonstrating a clear attempt at a coherent structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'recorded', 'established', and 'transports' appropriately. There is a minor error in the data reporting where '1191 passengers' is written instead of '1191 million passengers', which is a slight inaccuracy in precision. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly, but it lacks the variety or more sophisticated collocations that would be required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The table illustrates...' and 'In terms of annual passengers, Tokyo recorded...'. Grammar is generally accurate in the segments provided, with correct use of tense for historical facts. Punctuation is mostly correct, though the abrupt ending leaves the final sentence incomplete. There are no major grammatical errors that impede communication, but the range of structures is somewhat limited.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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