Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-04
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 provides data on the subway railway facilities across six distinct cities.
Overall, the capacity to cover long distances by the underground trains modestly decreased over the period of time, except in Los Angeles, inaugurated in 2001. Besides, the highest number of passengers recorded in Tokyo.
Turning to details, London opened its underground railway system in 1863 for the longest route of 394 kilometers, with record of 775 millions passengers per year, whereas Kyoto's underground railway facilities started in 1981 for the distance of 11 kilometers and reaching 45 million commuters traveled in a year, both recorded as the lowest among all others.
However, Tokyo accounted for the most individuals traveled in a year, having 1927 passengers, which is opened in 1927. Additionally, the underground railway services of Washington DC and Paris, started in 1976 and 1900, serving for 126 and 199 kilometers, boarded 144 and 1191 million travelers, respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 data, including the oldest/newest systems and the highest/lowest passenger numbers. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; stating that the capacity to cover long distances 'modestly decreased' over time is a misinterpretation of the data, as the table shows a mix of values rather than a clear chronological trend. While the main features are highlighted, the analysis lacks a clear, logical comparison of the relationship between the age of the system and its usage. The response addresses the prompt requirements but could benefit from more precise data interpretation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Turning to details', 'whereas', and 'Additionally' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some referencing is slightly confusing, such as the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs. The progression of information is generally clear, but the logical connection between the age of the systems and their respective passenger counts could be more effectively managed to improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'inaugurated', 'commuters', and 'respectively'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'subway railway facilities' (redundant) and 'most individuals traveled' (unnatural phrasing). The use of 'record of 775 millions passengers' is also grammatically imprecise. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. More sophisticated vocabulary related to trends and data comparison would enhance the quality of the report.
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 'which is opened in 1927' (tense inconsistency) and 'serving for 126 and 199 kilometers' (awkward prepositional usage). Additionally, the phrase 'having 1927 passengers' is grammatically weak. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The student demonstrates an attempt at complex structures, but control over these structures is inconsistent, particularly regarding verb tenses and relative clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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