Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-12

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 given table illustrates the information about the basement railway systems in six foreign cities such as London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los angeles.

London railway system opened in 1863 and made 394 kilometer of route with 775 million passengers per year and noted highest travel kilometers, whilst Kyoto railway service opened in 1981 and had the lowest kilometers and passengers of route which is 11 kilometer and only 45 million passenger per year. Moreover, Tokyo started their railway platform in 1927, they noted highest passenger 1927 million and moderate traveling only 155 kilometer.

Furthermore, Paris opened railway system in 1900 and marked 1191 million travellers with higher kilometer of routes at 199. Also, Los Angeles had the lower passengers than others which is 50 million and made 28 kilometer of route.

Overall, one can observe from the table that Tokyo railway station had the highest passengers, while Kyoto had the lowest passengers, in addition paris accounted for moderate passengers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important comparisons, including London as the oldest and longest system, Kyoto as the smallest, and Tokyo as carrying the most passengers. However, coverage is partial: Washington DC is omitted, and the overview focuses mainly on passenger totals rather than summarising the table’s broader patterns, such as the contrast between older, larger networks and newer, smaller ones. Some details are also unclear or inaccurate in expression; for example, Kyoto is described as having the lowest “passengers of route,” and Paris’s route length is called “higher” without a clear comparison. To strengthen the response, report all six cities and select the main contrasts accurately, including Washington DC’s figures and the fact that London has the longest route.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with details grouped into separate paragraphs and an overall statement introduced by “Overall.” This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is not consistently clear: the second paragraph combines London, Kyoto and Tokyo, while the next shifts to Paris and Los Angeles without an evident grouping principle. Linking words such as “Moreover” and “Furthermore” are used, but they do not always clarify how the information relates, and the final overview repeats passenger comparisons already mentioned. Organise the figures by a clear feature—for example, oldest and longest systems, then passenger use and newer networks—and use comparisons to connect the data rather than listing cities.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “illustrates,” “marked,” “travellers” and “accounted for,” and the main topic is generally understandable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing this table: “basement railway systems,” “railway platform,” “traveling kilometers” and “passengers of route” do not convey the intended meanings clearly. Repetition of “opened,” “route” and “passengers” also limits flexibility, while “Los angeles” and “paris” show inconsistent capitalisation. Use standard terms such as “underground railway network,” “route length” and “annual passenger numbers,” and choose precise comparative language such as “the longest network” or “the highest annual ridership.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, as in “London railway system opened in 1863 …, whilst Kyoto railway service opened in 1981.” The meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and agreement recur. For example, “Tokyo started their railway platform …, they noted” joins two independent clauses with a comma, and “Tokyo … they” shifts from a singular city to a plural pronoun. There are also article and number problems in phrases such as “London railway system” and “394 kilometer.” Aim for complete, controlled sentences, use a consistent singular subject (“Tokyo’s system … it”), and check articles and plural forms when reporting measurements.

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