Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-08

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 illustrates information regarding underground train system six major cities of the world. It compares different factors of railway in cities.

Overall, it is clear that two cites are taken from several continents such as Europe, Asia and America. Tokyo recorded highest number of passengers travelling in the train, whereas Kyoto has lowest figures in the table.

The Tokyo railway system was built in 1927 , and streched to 155 km in length with highest annual passenger around 1927 million. In contrast, Kyoto train system which was built 1981 with only 11 km length despite being in the same nation as tokyo, It has only 45 million passenger in a year.

In Europe, London is oldest and longest railway system built in 1863 with length of 394 km. The number of passengers travelling in the trains of London is roughly 775 million. Paris which big tourist city in france with railway system of 1900. The tracks in Paris are 199 km long with 1191 million passenger travelling in trains every year.

Washington DC is capital of USA in America. The railway system built in 1976 with 126 km long track. The annual passenger In Washington DC train is around 144 million, whereas Los Angles located in same country has the youngest railway system with 28 km track , and 50 million passengers in a year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover all six cities and report the main measures, with a useful overview identifying Tokyo as having the most passengers and Kyoto the fewest. You also make relevant comparisons, such as London being the oldest and longest-running system and Los Angeles the newest. This gives the reader a clear account of the table’s key patterns. However, the overview could capture more of the data’s contrasts: Tokyo has the highest passenger total despite a shorter route than London, while London has the longest route. Some details are also less fully reported, particularly the comparison between the two American systems. Focus the overview on the strongest contrasts and describe each figure precisely to make the summary more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs grouping the Asian, European, and American systems. This makes the information easy to follow, and transitions such as “In contrast” and “whereas” help signal comparisons. At times, however, the links between details are mechanical or unclear. For example, the Kyoto sentence joins several ideas with “despite” and then “It,” whose reference is not fully smooth. The final paragraph also presents Washington and Los Angeles figures in a long sentence, making the comparison harder to process. Use shorter, clearly connected sentences and ensure each comparison directly identifies the figures being contrasted.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for describing the table, including “annual passenger,” “length,” “oldest,” and “youngest,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which limits precision. “Two cites are taken from several continents” does not clearly express the distribution of the cities, and “built” is less suitable than language describing when a railway system opened. There are also spelling and form errors, including “streched,” “cites,” and “Los Angles.” Aim for precise data-reporting phrases and check spelling carefully. More varied terms such as “route,” “network,” and “annual ridership” would help you describe the figures naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons with “whereas” and “despite,” and the main information can usually be understood. However, some grammatical errors remain, especially in articles, sentence construction, and punctuation. For example, “underground train system six major cities” needs a clearer noun phrase, while “Paris which big tourist city in france” is missing a verb and article. In “The railway system built in 1976,” the passive verb form is incomplete; use “was built.” Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are also inconsistent. Build accuracy by checking that each sentence has a complete subject and verb, and use commas and full stops to separate related details.

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