Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-10

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 shows data about underground railway systems in six cities: London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles.

Overall, London is the oldest system and has the longest route. However, Tokyo has the highest number of passengers every year. Kyoto has the shortest route and fewest passengers.

London opened first in 1863 and has 394 kilometers of route, with 775 million passengers. Paris opened in 1900, having 199 kilometers of route and 1191 million passengers. Tokyo opened in 1927, and it has 155 kilometers route, but it has the most passengers at 1927 million per year.

Washington DC opened in 1976 with 126 kilometers and 144 million passengers. Kyoto opened in 1981, having only 11 kilometers route and 45 million passengers. Finally, Los Angeles opened in 2001, which has 28 kilometers route and 50 million passengers per year

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all the data points provided in the table and identifies key trends such as the oldest system and the highest passenger volume. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While the overview is clear, the report lacks a more analytical comparison between the cities. For instance, it could have grouped the older European systems against the newer ones in Asia and America to better highlight the relationship between the age of the system and its usage. Because the response is under-length, it cannot be awarded a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized, starting with an introduction and an overview, followed by body paragraphs that group the data. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the oldest/largest systems to the newer ones. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive, relying heavily on simple sentence structures and basic conjunctions like 'and' or 'but'. To improve, you should incorporate a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect your sentences more fluidly, such as 'In contrast,' 'Conversely,' or 'Furthermore.'

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'has 394 kilometers of route' and 'has 1191 million passengers' are used repeatedly throughout the text. There is little attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary or synonyms to describe the data (e.g., 'network length,' 'annual ridership,' or 'commuter volume'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to vary your word choices and use more precise terminology related to transport statistics.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and compound sentences. While the grammar is generally accurate, the range of structures is limited. Most sentences follow a similar 'Subject + Verb + Object' pattern. There are minor errors, such as '155 kilometers route' (missing 'of') and '28 kilometers route' (missing 'of'). To improve, you should attempt to use more complex structures, such as relative clauses or participle phrases (e.g., 'Opened in 1863, London’s system spans 394 kilometers...'). Punctuation is generally correct, but the overall grammatical variety is restricted.

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

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