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)

The table compares the underground railway systems across six cities in terms of distance covered (kilometres), number of passengers in millions and the year it was opened.

Overall, London was leading in kilometres covered while Kyoto was the least. While Tokyo and Paris has the highest number of commuters, Los Angeles and Kyoto had the lowest numbers.

Tokyo opened in 1927 had the largest number of passengers at 1,927,000, followed by Paris with 1,191,000 having covered 155 and 199 kilometres. London was in third position with 775 million despite covering greatest number of routes (394 kilometres)

On the other hand, Washington Dc, Kyoto and Los Angeles had the lowest commuters with minimal distance covered. Washington Dc (1976) covered 126 kilometres with 144 million commuters. Kyoto and Loss

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the table’s subject and give a relevant overview, noting London’s longest route and Kyoto’s shortest, as well as the contrast in passenger numbers. However, the report is incomplete and does not cover all six systems: the final sentence stops at “Kyoto and Loss…”, leaving Los Angeles’s figures unreported. Some figures are also inaccurate: Tokyo’s 1,927 is stated as 1,927,000, and the passenger figures are given in millions in the table. The comparison of Paris and Tokyo’s route lengths is also muddled. The response is 23 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited coverage. Include the missing data and accurately compare the main extremes to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing the larger and smaller systems. Linking phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” help signal the intended organisation. However, progression is interrupted by the unfinished final sentence, and the last paragraph does not complete its comparison. Some connections between details are unclear; for example, the sentence about Tokyo and Paris combines passenger totals with route lengths without making the comparison explicit. Use separate, clearly focused sentences to group the largest systems and the smaller ones, and ensure each paragraph develops its point to completion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “underground railway systems,” “distance covered,” “passengers,” and “kilometres.” “Commuters” and “leading” show attempts to vary wording, although “passengers” is more precise than “commuters” for the table’s annual totals, and “had the longest route” is more natural than “was leading in kilometres covered.” There are also spelling and word-choice slips, including “Loss” for “Los Angeles” and the repeated use of “covered” where “route length” would be clearer. These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main comparisons, but more precise collocations and careful proofreading would improve control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast structure “While Tokyo and Paris…” and the participial opening “Tokyo opened in 1927…”. Some sentences communicate the intended comparisons, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “Tokyo and Paris has” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “Tokyo opened in 1927 had…” lacks a clear grammatical connection between its clauses. The sentence beginning “Paris with 1,191,000 having covered…” is also awkwardly constructed, making the relationship between passenger totals and route lengths unclear. Use complete clauses with consistent tense and agreement, and check punctuation where several facts are combined.

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