Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-25

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)

In the given illusion,the main features of underground railway systemed,km routes and the passengers records described from the year 1863 to 2001.

overall, London railway having high rate according to its route in km and Kyoto having the least route.the passengers who traveled more in a year is belong to Tokyo and the least passengers rate recorded were belongs to Kyoto.

Firstly,London railway system was opened in 1863 which mention the travelling of 775 passengers in 394 km route per year,then paris and tokyo whose railway systems open in 1900 and 1927 record 199 and 155 km route and 1191,1927 for a year.

However,the Washington DC city open railway track in 1976 where 144 passengers travel and 126 km route is recorded.Comparatively,Kyota and Los Angeles are least in record of route ans passengers.Kyota railway track which was established in 1981 having 45 passengers per year and Los Angeles recorded 50 passengers per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several key comparisons: London has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto has the shortest route and lowest passenger figure. You also include dates and figures for all six systems, so the response is relevant to the table. However, some data are reported unclearly or inaccurately: for example, “775 passengers in 394 km route” does not make clear that 775 million is an annual total, and the Paris and Tokyo figures are difficult to match to the correct cities. The overview also misses useful comparisons, such as Tokyo’s passenger total being far higher than Paris’s despite its shorter route. Select the main patterns and present each figure with its correct unit and relationship.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, an overview, and paragraphs beginning “Firstly” and “However.” This gives the reader some guidance through the information. However, progression within the body is not consistently clear: the Paris and Tokyo figures are compressed into one sentence, while the final paragraph groups Kyoto and Los Angeles without clearly comparing their route lengths. Linking words such as “Comparatively” do not always establish a precise relationship, and the repeated use of “and” makes some lists difficult to follow. Organise the details into clearer groups—for example, older, larger systems and newer, smaller ones—and use explicit comparisons to connect the figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt vocabulary suited to describing data, including “main features,” “recorded,” “established,” and “Comparatively.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms make the meaning unclear. “Illusion” is not appropriate for the table, “railway systemed” is incorrectly formed, and “passengers records” is an unnatural phrase. There are also spelling errors such as “Kyota” and “ans.” Use standard terms consistently, such as “underground railway system,” “route length,” and “annual passenger numbers.” Take care to choose verbs that fit the data: a system “opened,” while a figure “stood at” or “reached” a particular amount.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses linked with “which” and “where.” However, the longer structures are often faulty, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction frequently make the data difficult to interpret. For instance, “London railway having high rate” lacks a finite verb, while “the least passengers rate recorded were belongs” combines incompatible verb forms. In “the Washington DC city open railway track,” the verb form is also incorrect. Practise building accurate comparison sentences with a clear subject and verb, such as “London’s system opened in 1863 and has a route length of 394 km.” Check punctuation and spacing after commas as well.

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