Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-16

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)

This table compares the six different cities underground railway systems, in terms of year they opened there were actual start operations, length of the routes and the number of passengers they served annually .Overall, London railway system considered the most oldest and longest among the six cities. In contrast, Kyoto and Los Angeles they new and smallest routes. Whereas, Paris and Tokyo severed large number of passengers.

In 1863, London Opened underground system which is quite old and the longest route, extended 394kilometers. Despite that, they serves only 775 Million passengers yearly, which is considerably fewer then Paris and Tokyo. Paris underground railway, which opened in 1900, and has 199km route. It carries approx. 1191 million passengers per year.

Tokyo's system was established in 1927, and relatively shorter route 155 kilometers. However, it recorded the highest number of passengers, 1927 million per year. Washington DC, opened there railway quite late, In 1976 and covers 126 kilometers route and serving 144 Million passengers annually.

Two newest underground system Kyoto and Los Angeles. Kyoto opened railway system in 1981, covers 11 kilometers which considered the smallest route among all cities. Carries only 45 million each year . Los Angeles opened underground railway in 2001, has slightly longer route 28 Km and carry 50 Million passengers yearly. Thus, both the routes are smaller and less heavily use as compare to the older networks London, Paris and Tokyo.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt by presenting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the six cities. You identified the oldest and longest system (London), the highest passenger volume (Tokyo), and contrasted these with smaller and newer networks like Kyoto and Los Angeles. Key data points such as opening dates, route lengths, and passenger numbers are accurately cited from the table. However, the overview in the introduction contains awkward phrasing and grammatical slip-ups, such as 'most oldest', which slightly limits precision. Overall, the information is clearly presented and addresses the task appropriately, aligning well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 profile. Because the core requirements are fully met, a solid Band 6.5 is awarded.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into a logical structure with an introduction, three body paragraphs focusing on grouped cities, and an appropriate concluding comparison. Cohesive devices and transition phrases are used throughout, such as 'In contrast', 'Despite that', 'However', and 'Thus'. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly clunky, as seen in sentences like 'Two newest underground system Kyoto and Los Angeles', which lacks clear grammatical linkage. Paragraphing is handled reasonably well, grouping older and newer networks logically. While the logical organization is clear and progression is maintained, awkward transitional phrasing prevents a higher band score, making a Band 6.0 appropriate.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying numerical data and comparative descriptions using terms such as 'annually', 'established', 'route', and 'network'. You attempted less common items like 'substantially', 'heavily used', and 'considerably', though inaccuracies in word choice and collocation appear frequently, such as 'most oldest' instead of 'the oldest', 'severed' instead of 'served', and 'less heavily use' instead of 'less heavily used'. Spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient to meet the requirements, fitting securely into the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses ('which opened in 1900') and contrasting structures. However, frequent grammatical errors occur throughout the text, including tense and agreement issues like 'London Opened underground system which is quite old', missing articles ('Tokyo's system was established in 1927, and relatively shorter route'), and prepositional slips. Sentences such as 'Kyoto opened railway system in 1981, covers 11 kilometers which considered the smallest route among all cities' demonstrate faulty complex structures and missing subjects. Although these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the essay from reaching a Band 6.5. A Band 6.0 accurately reflects this control.

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