Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 the data of underground railway systems of six cities throughout a given period of time.

Overall the London city has the oldest underground railway system and longest route in kilometers Among all cities. While Tokyo railway system covers the highest number of passengers per year followed by Paris.

The ungrounded railway system of London open in 1863 with longest route of 394 kilometers and 775 millions passengers per year which is the third highest in numbers followed by the Tokyo railway system open in 1927 with 155 kilometers long route and 1927 million travelers per year highest number between all six cities.

While Paris underground railway system open in 1900 and accounted for the second largest number of passengers per year which 1191 million. Furthermore 144 million passengers travel by Washington DC underground railway system which has 126 km long route and open in 1976.

Kyoto underground railway system has smallest rout among all which is 11 kilometers with 45 million travelers per year opened in 1985.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrasts: London has the earliest opening and longest route, while Tokyo carries the most passengers, and you include figures for several systems. However, the overview is incomplete because it does not mention that Los Angeles is the newest system, and the comparison of route lengths and passenger numbers is not consistently developed across all six cities. Kyoto’s opening date is also reported incorrectly as 1985 rather than 1981, and Los Angeles is omitted from the detailed account. To strengthen the response, check every figure against the table and summarise the key extremes, including the newest system and the smallest passenger totals, before adding supporting comparisons. This would make the coverage more complete and the main features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs giving details about the cities. The overview helps the reader identify two important comparisons. However, progression is limited because the details are presented in a largely city-by-city sequence, with some abrupt links such as the opening “While Paris…” and “Furthermore” introducing information without a clear comparison. The final paragraph covers Kyoto but leaves Los Angeles unaddressed, so the account feels unfinished. Grouping the systems by useful contrasts—for example, the older, larger networks and the newer, smaller ones—would create a clearer progression. Use linking expressions to show precise relationships between figures rather than relying on “while” or “followed by” repeatedly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “longest route,” “highest number,” and “passengers per year,” so the main information is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the description awkward. For example, “ungrounded railway system” is not the correct term, “smallest rout” contains a spelling error, and “the London city” is an unnatural phrase. “Travelers” is understandable, but “passengers” is more precise and consistent with the table. Aim to use a small set of accurate data-reporting expressions consistently, such as “recorded,” “carried,” and “ranked second,” and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including an overview sentence and clauses beginning with “which.” However, control is uneven, and errors in verb forms, sentence boundaries, articles, and punctuation are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For instance, “The ungrounded railway system of London open in 1863” needs a past-tense verb, while “which 1191 million” is an incomplete construction. The sentence beginning “Overall” also runs into the next sentence without clear punctuation, and the opening “While” clauses are not consistently attached to complete main clauses. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then check past-tense forms and punctuation. Accurate simple structures should come before adding more complex clauses.

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