Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-29
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 provide information about underground railway systems in six cities across the world.
Overall, the table shows data about city name, the opening date, distance of the route and the number of passenger utilize the system per year; moreover, there are six railway systems in six different major cities of the world. The opening dates are between 1863 to 2001.
The London railway system is the oldest among others (inaugurated in 1863); while, newest one is Los Angeles system (opened in 2001and others are build in the 19th century. London have the longest route railway with 394 km and 28 km is the shortest path located in Kyoto. There are three above hundred routes i.e. Paris-199 km, Tokyo-155 km, Washington DC 126 km. 1927 million passengers per year use the Tokyo railway; while, Kyoto has a number of of 45 million users annually and three railways have an annual passenger flow more than seven hundred.
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 key features of the table, including the oldest/newest systems, the longest/shortest routes, and passenger volume comparisons. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. For instance, the statement 'others are build in the 19th century' is factually incorrect based on the data provided (e.g., Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and LA were built in the 20th/21st centuries). While the main features are identified, the lack of accurate synthesis and the inclusion of incorrect information limit the score. To improve, ensure that data points are grouped logically and that all comparisons are factually supported by the table.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into an introduction and a body paragraph. While there is a logical flow, the paragraphing is insufficient; the response would benefit from splitting the data into distinct categories (e.g., age vs. size/usage) to improve readability. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'while' and 'moreover', but some transitions feel mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'the table provide information...; moreover, there are six railway systems'. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure lacks the sophisticated progression expected at higher bands.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'inaugurated', 'annually', and 'passenger flow'. However, there are some inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'number of passenger utilize' (should be 'number of passengers utilizing') and 'three above hundred routes' (which is unclear). The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Spelling and word choice errors are present but do not significantly impede the reader's understanding of the data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('The table provide', 'London have'), tense issues ('others are build'), and punctuation errors (e.g., the semicolon usage and missing spaces after parentheses). While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors indicate a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on basic subject-verb agreement and ensure consistent verb tenses when describing historical data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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