Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-20

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)

This bar chart illustrates, the underground railway systems in six cities.

Overall, The oldest and longest railway system was opened in London in 1863, While newly constructed railway operates in Los Angeles. Moreover the shortest underground railway is functioning in Kyoto and the most number passengers travel from railway station of Tokyo.

IN 1863 London opened first underground railway, the total length of this system was 394 kilometers, 775 million passenger used it annually.

Paris railway system became functional in 1900, The operational length of this system was 199 kilometers which accommodate 1191 million users each year.

After 27 and 76 years from Paris Tokyo and Washington DC started providing railway services, in route of 155 and 126 kilometer with passenger travelling per year 1927 and 144 per year.

Kyoto and loss angles is a least popular railway stations operating at 45 and 50 million passenger per year and shorter length of 11 and 28 kilometers simultaneously,

Kyoto opened in 1981 after 20 years Los Angeles started working.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main comparisons: London is the oldest and has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto has the shortest route. You also include figures for all six cities, so the key information is covered. The overview is useful, although “most number passengers” is unclear, and the comparison of the two newest systems as least popular is not fully precise: Los Angeles carries slightly more passengers than Kyoto. Some details are less fully explained, particularly the relative passenger figures for Paris and Tokyo. To strengthen the response further, make the overview more exact and compare the largest and smallest figures directly, while ensuring each statement matches the table.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an overview followed by details about the cities, and the information is generally grouped in a sensible order. However, progression is weakened by abrupt transitions and unclear links, especially in “After 27 and 76 years from Paris Tokyo and Washington DC…” and the final sentence about Kyoto and Los Angeles. Some linking words, such as “Moreover” and “simultaneously,” do not make the relationships between the data clear. Paragraphing is also limited, with several city comparisons crowded together. Organise the details into clearer groups—for example, older systems and newer systems—and use direct comparisons so readers can follow the sequence without having to interpret it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing transport data, including “underground railway,” “operational length,” “annually,” and “passenger.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main information. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “most number passengers,” “passenger travel from railway station,” and “least popular railway stations.” “Loss angles” is also a spelling error, and “simultaneously” does not express the intended comparison. These choices sometimes make the meaning less clear. Aim for standard data-reporting phrases and check spelling and word forms; for example, describe systems as carrying passengers and compare their annual passenger totals.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and more complex comparisons, and the reader can usually understand the intended facts. However, sentence control is inconsistent, particularly in the longer sentence beginning “After 27 and 76 years from Paris…” and the final sentence, which lacks a clear grammatical structure. There are also errors in articles, agreement, plurals, and punctuation: “London opened first underground railway” needs an article, while “775 million passenger used it” has a number-agreement problem. Capitalisation after commas is inconsistent, and some sentences are joined without appropriate punctuation. Use shorter, complete sentences when presenting several figures, and check articles, subject–verb agreement, and sentence boundaries.

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