Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-03
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 information about the underground railway systems in six cities.
Overall, London which had oldest underground railway systems which was largest route among all. However, railway systems of Tokyo carries more passenger per year by comparison to others. Kyoto underground railway systems are smallest in terms of route length passenger carrying capacity.
Underground railway systems of Paris and Washington DC had noteable length and capacity. The most recent systems was developed in Los Angeles.
According to the table the oldest underground railway systems in Lonidon open in 1863 had range of 394 kilometers and it carry 775 million people per year. By contrast the latest one is in Los Angeles, developed in 2001 carry 50 million travellers per year and has route length of 28 kilometers. Higest passenger carrying capacity is of Tokyo underground railway systems which was 1927 compared with Kyoto which had the lowest which was 45.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the task only partially, and importantly, the length requirement is not met as the text contains only 142 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum (note that 9 words copied from the task prompt were excluded). While the student attempts to provide an overview and mention several data points from the table, the selection of main features is incomplete and lacks a fully developed comparative structure. For instance, mentioning that London had the oldest system and largest route is a relevant overview point, but details are subsequently mixed with basic listings rather than synthesized data comparisons. To reach higher bands, the writer must ensure the minimum word count is met, cover all key trends more comprehensively, and present a fully developed report with clear, extended comparisons across all cities.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The writing shows some organization with an introductory sentence and an attempt at paragraphing, but there is no clear overall progression. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or inadequate, leading to abrupt transitions between sentences and ideas, such as moving from general statements to specific figures without smooth linking. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making the flow disjointed. For example, sentences like 'Higest passenger carrying capacity is of Tokyo underground railway systems which was 1927 compared with Kyoto which had the lowest which was 45' lack fluid connections. To improve, the writer needs to employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices and structure paragraphs logically to guide the reader smoothly through the comparative data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The lexical range is limited but minimally adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'passenger carrying capacity' and 'route length', but these attempts are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and spelling, such as 'noteable' instead of notable, 'Lonidon' instead of London, and 'Higest' instead of highest. These inaccuracies occasionally cause minor difficulty or distraction for the reader. To achieve a higher band score, the writer must expand their vocabulary range, use precise terms for data reporting without spelling mistakes, and demonstrate better control over word forms and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a very limited range of structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, including missing verbs, incorrect verb tenses, and agreement issues, such as 'London which had oldest underground railway systems which was largest route' and 'developed in 2001 carry 50 million travellers'. These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader in parsing the exact meaning. To progress to higher bands, the student needs to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence forms with improved accuracy, ensuring proper subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and reliable control over tense consistency.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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