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 chart displays information about the six different cities (London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington Dc, Kyoto, Los Angeles) have built the underground railway systems.
Overall, it can be seen that the London was built firstly railway systems rather than other cities. The highest numbers of kilometers route were developed the London in compare lowest figures of kilometers route were built the Kyoto.
First time in 1863 the London was created the 394 kilometers of route and every year a 775 million people were used this route. Moreover, in 1900 the second longest route was constructed the Paris peak at 199 kilometers or per year a 1191 million were used this route. Likewise, in 1927 the Tokyo was developed third largest route 155 kilometers as well as majority of people used this route approximately 1927 million.
The Kyoto and Los Angeles were built the shorts route (11 kilometers and 28 kilometers) and less than a 50 people used this route every year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all the cities and data points provided in the table. However, the overview is weak; it focuses only on the oldest system rather than highlighting the most significant trends, such as the disparity between the oldest systems and the newest, or the contrast between route length and passenger volume. The comparison between Tokyo's passenger numbers and the other cities is a good observation, but the analysis is generally descriptive rather than analytical. To improve, you should group the data more effectively to highlight key features and trends rather than listing the data city by city.
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 often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'First time in 1863' or 'in compare lowest figures'. The progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, making the logical flow feel disjointed. While there is an attempt to use linking words like 'Moreover' and 'Likewise', they are not always used in a way that naturally connects the sentences. Improving the variety and accuracy of transition signals would significantly enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'built the underground railway systems' and 'used this route' are used repeatedly. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the shorts route' instead of 'the shortest routes' and 'a 50 people' instead of '50 million people'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic information, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. You should focus on using more varied verbs and nouns to describe data, such as 'commenced operations', 'spanned', or 'annual ridership'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are consistent issues with article usage ('the London', 'the Paris'), verb tense and voice ('was built firstly', 'was created the 394 kilometers'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are grammatically incomplete or incorrectly constructed, such as 'the London was built firstly railway systems'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the text from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct passive voice construction is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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