Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-26

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 shows data regarding the underground system of railway across six different cities (London, Paris, Washington DC, Tokyo, Kyoto and Los Angeles).

Overall, the underground railway system is emerging rapidly by adding more population of passengers day by day. All cities except Kyoto and Los Angeles have a nice amount of passengers (in millions).

In the year 1863 London open the gates of underground railways system with 394 kilometers of route with 775 passengers per year (in millions) , similarly Paris and Tokyo started this system in 1900 and 1927 with a range of 199 and 155 kilometers of route with 1191 and 1927 passengers per year (in millions). Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles opened this system in 1976, 1981 and 2001 with a range of 126, 11 and 28 kilometers of route with 144, 45 and 50 passengers per year (in millions). Kyoto had the smallest route with a range of 11kilometers of route within the city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You include the main categories of information—opening dates, route lengths and annual passenger figures—and report several accurate comparisons, such as London being the earliest system and Kyoto having the shortest route. However, the overview is not sufficiently accurate or focused: “emerging rapidly” is not supported by a table showing only one date per city, and the claim that all cities except Kyoto and Los Angeles have “a nice amount” of passengers is vague. The most important overall patterns are that London has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto is smallest by route length. The response also gives figures in a dense list rather than selecting and highlighting the key contrasts. A clearer overview and more purposeful comparisons would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph of supporting figures. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the final paragraph is limited because the figures are grouped into one long sentence, with “similarly” and “with a range” doing much of the linking. The shift from London to Paris and Tokyo, then to the remaining cities, is understandable but not developed into clear comparisons. The final sentence repeats Kyoto’s route figure without adding much new information. Separate the cities into logical groups and use linking language to show contrasts—for example, compare the older, larger systems with the newer, shorter ones. This would make the organisation clearer and less list-like.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “underground railway system,” “kilometers of route” and “passengers per year,” so the subject is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing a table. “Emerging rapidly” and “adding more population of passengers day by day” suggest a trend over time that the data do not show, while “a nice amount” is informal and vague. Repetition of “with a range” and “system” also makes the description less precise. Choose neutral reporting language and vocabulary that accurately describes comparisons, such as “recorded,” “carried,” “longest route” and “lowest annual ridership.” More precise collocations would help you communicate the data efficiently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a sentence that links several cities and their figures. The main information is usually understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. In “In the year 1863 London open,” the past-tense verb is incorrect and the sentence needs punctuation after the introductory date. The long sentence beginning “similarly Paris and Tokyo” has unclear structure, with several dates and figures joined without clear boundaries. There are also article and number-form problems in “the underground system of railway” and “11kilometers,” where a space is needed between the number and unit. Use shorter, controlled sentences, check past-tense forms, and punctuate lists of figures carefully. This would make the data easier to follow while retaining some complex structures.

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