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 given table compares the underground railway systems in sex cities (London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles) in fonction of opening date, the longer of route and the number of passengers per year in millions.

Overall, It's clear that London has the longest route, Tokto and Paris have the heighest number of passengers in year comparing with Kyoto and Los angeles which have the lowest longer and the minimum number of passengers.

In terms of the longest of the road, Tokyo have just 155 kilometers but the heighest number of passengers with 1927 millions per year, then it comes Paris with 1191 millions passengers, then London which was open in 1863 caractirise by the longest road with 394 kilometers and 775 millions passengers per year.

On the other hand, Washington DC have 126 kilometers of route and 144 millions passengers.Kyoto and Los Angeles have the lowest distance of route with 11 and 28 kilometers with also 45 and 50 millions passengers in year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the table’s subject and give an overview of the main contrasts: London has the longest route, while Tokyo and Paris carry the most passengers, and Kyoto and Los Angeles are at the lower end. You also include several relevant figures, such as London’s 394 kilometres and Tokyo’s 1,927 million passengers. However, coverage is partial: the opening dates are mentioned only generally, and the comparison of the six systems is not consistently complete. For example, Washington DC’s figures are reported, but its position relative to the other cities is not explained. Some descriptions are also unclear, such as “the minimum number of passengers.” A clearer overview and more precise comparisons across all four measures would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to comparisons of the larger and smaller systems. Paragraphing helps separate these functions, and phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” signal the intended progression. However, the organisation is not consistently clear: the third paragraph shifts between route length, passenger numbers and opening dates, while the final paragraph lists figures without fully connecting them to the overview. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated “then” sequence. Grouping cities by a clear feature—such as route length or passenger volume—and using comparisons to connect each figure would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a table, including “compares,” “route,” “passengers per year” and “longest.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable word-choice, spelling and collocation errors make parts difficult to understand. “The longer of route” and “the longest of the road” are inaccurate ways to describe route length, while “heighest” and “caractirise” are misspelled. “In fonction of” is also an unsuitable phrase in this context. These issues sometimes obscure the intended comparison, even though the figures themselves provide useful context. Aim for accurate, repeated-use terms such as “route length,” “annual passenger numbers,” “recorded” and “ranked,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, including an overview and a comparison using “which.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence structure, agreement, verb forms and punctuation. Examples include “Tokyo have” and “Washington DC have,” where the singular subject requires “has,” and “which was open in 1863,” where the verb form is incorrect. The sentence beginning “In terms of the longest of the road” is also difficult to follow because its structure is not controlled. Missing spaces after full stops, as in “passengers.P,” further affect accuracy. Practise building clear comparison sentences with accurate subject–verb agreement and past-tense forms for opening dates.

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