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 give the details about the underground railway in six cities.

overall the tokyo underground railway system was the most populated while the kyoto is the least populated.

The oldest railway network which was opend in london city in year 1863 with the longest route which carries about 775 millions passenger per year.Then followed by the underground rail network in paris which started in early 19 century with a route of about half of london city while carries passengers 1191 miilion in a year .Then the most busiesiest underground railway network of tokyo which facilitate more passengers then all other combine five cities in the table with amount of 1927 millions .Followed by washington DC which is not the among the buisiest underground railway network open in 1976 with a route of 126 kilometer.Then come the least used rail line stytem in the table which is just 11 kilometer long and transport 45 millions passenger per year.

Then the most recently open underground railway network in los angles with a route of about 28 kilometer and used by 50 millions people in a single year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrasts: London is the oldest system and has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto has the shortest route and lowest passenger total. You also include figures for most cities, so the response addresses the task and gives a useful overview. However, some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate: Paris opened in 1900, not in the “early 19 century,” and Tokyo’s passenger total is not greater than the other five cities combined. The Washington section notes its opening date and route length but omits its annual passenger figure, while the overview calls Kyoto least populated rather than specifying that it has the fewest passengers. More precise comparisons and complete coverage would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The information is presented in a broadly understandable order, moving from the older, larger systems to the newer ones, and phrases such as “Then followed by” and “Then the most recently” help signal sequence. However, the response is largely one continuous paragraph, and repeated use of “Then” and “Followed by” makes the progression mechanical rather than clearly organised by key features. Some links also create confusing relationships: “which facilitate more passengers then all other combine five cities” is difficult to follow and does not accurately express the comparison. Grouping the information into an overview and two comparison paragraphs—for example, established systems and newer, smaller systems—would make the structure clearer. Use linking expressions to show comparisons, not just sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “route,” “passengers per year,” “oldest,” and “most recently,” which helps communicate the table’s subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “most populated” for passenger use, “most busiesiest,” and “transport 45 millions passenger.” Spelling errors including “opend,” “miilion,” and “angles” also reduce precision. These issues sometimes make the reader pause, particularly in the Tokyo comparison. Aim for accurate, reusable terms such as “annual ridership,” “route length,” “recorded,” and “the lowest figure,” and check spelling and plural forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine information in longer sentences, for example by linking opening dates, route lengths, and passenger totals. However, these complex attempts are often faulty, and the range of sentence structures is limited. The opening, “The table give the details,” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “The oldest railway network which was opend…” is an incomplete sentence. Other examples include “Then followed by the underground rail network” and “which facilitate more passengers,” where sentence structure and verb forms are not controlled. Articles, plurals, and punctuation also need attention. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then add comparisons using accurate clauses; this will improve clarity as well as grammatical control.

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