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 below represents the information about the underground railway system in six different cities. Overall, London was the first city where people used this system. Also Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto joined this system in 19th centuary.Whereas Kyoto and Los Angeles has smallest route as compared to other cities and Tokyo has highest numbers of passengers who used this system.

In terms of date opening, London was the first city who adapt this transportation model in 1863. In contrast, Log Angeles opened its first underground track in 2001 which makes it the last city to use this system in this table. However, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto use this public tranport in 19th centuary.

In the same way, data of the passengers travelling each year shows Paris and Tokyo has the highest commuters about 1191 million and 1927 million respectively, while Kyoto has 45 million and Los Angeles has 50 million which are the lowest figures in this table. On the other hand, 775 million london residents choose this system for travelling everyday.

Regarding the track length, London has the longest track with 394 km while Kyoto has only 11 km route .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several key features, including London as the oldest system, Los Angeles as the newest, Tokyo as having the most passengers, and London as having the longest route. You also include figures for passenger numbers and route length. However, the overview is incomplete and contains a factual error: Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto did not all open in the 19th century; Washington DC and Kyoto opened in 1976 and 1981. The comparison of route lengths is also limited to London and Kyoto, leaving out other useful contrasts, such as Paris’s 199 km and Los Angeles’s 28 km. To strengthen the report, give an accurate overview of the main extremes across all three measures and compare more of the data selectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs on opening dates, passenger numbers and route length. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “In contrast,” “On the other hand” and “Regarding” help signal comparisons, although some are used mechanically or do not express the relationship precisely. For example, “In the same way” does not clearly introduce the passenger comparison, and the final route-length paragraph is very brief. The overview also combines several points in a way that makes the opening-date claim confusing. Use more precise transitions and group related comparisons so that each paragraph develops a clear, balanced point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for describing the table, including “commuters,” “track length,” “longest” and “lowest figures.” These choices show some ability to vary language beyond simply repeating the table headings. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “adapt this transportation model,” “use this public tranport” and “data of the passengers travelling.” There are also spelling errors, including “centuary,” “Log Angeles” and “tranport,” which reduce precision. Aim for standard, natural expressions such as “adopted this form of transport,” “the number of passengers” and “opened its system.” Check spelling carefully, especially for city names and key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons introduced by “while” and “whereas,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, errors occur in sentence structure, agreement and tense. For example, “Kyoto and Los Angeles has” should use a plural verb, while “Paris and Tokyo has” also needs “have.” The sentence “Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto use this public transport in 19th century” has an inaccurate tense and missing article, as well as a factual issue with the dates. Some punctuation is also missing after “centuary,” causing sentences to run together. Review subject–verb agreement, articles and past-tense forms, and separate sentences clearly.

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