Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-27

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 charts shows information about underground railway system in six cities , it illustrates four different features in which it includes cities name and when it was opened.

as we can see in the chart the first ever underground railway system was opened in london in 1863 and it is the longest railway route in terms of kilometers , however tokyo railway service accomdate most number of passenger per year which is 1927 millions.

moreover if we compare the first ever railway system and the most recent one the difference is very huge as london has longest route compare to los angeles it has very short route comparing it with london. furthermore we can see that first three underground railway stations have huge number of passengers compare to last three passenger count declined massively and by huge margin. further more we can see downward trend of declining kilometers of route after london it was constant until it was opened in los angeles in 2001 whihc had slight increase on the other hand tokyo underground railway system seems to be most crowded and the firstly opened station in london covers larger route

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important features, including London as the oldest system and the longest route, and Tokyo as having the highest annual passenger figure. You also attempt comparisons between the earliest and most recent systems and between the first and last three cities. However, coverage is partial: the overview is not clearly separated, and several figures are omitted or inaccurately described. For example, saying the route length was “constant” after London is misleading, since it falls from 394 km to 199, 155, 126 and then 11 km before rising to 28 km in Los Angeles. Include the key figures for Paris, Washington and Kyoto, and summarise both the route-length and passenger patterns accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: the response moves from an introduction to observations and comparisons, and linking expressions such as “however,” “moreover” and “on the other hand” show an effort to connect ideas. However, progression is not consistently clear, and the final paragraph combines several points without a logical sequence. The repeated “furthermore/further more” and “we can see” make the linking mechanical, while some references, such as “it was constant,” are unclear. Use a clear overview followed by separate comparisons—for example, one paragraph on opening dates and route lengths, and another on passenger numbers. This would make the relationships between the data easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “longest,” “most number of passenger,” “difference” and “declined.” This gives the response enough basic language to communicate its main comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “railway stations” for systems, “accomdate most number,” and “passenger count declined massively.” Spelling errors, including “whihc,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise chart language such as “route length,” “annual passenger numbers,” “recorded” and “rose slightly.” Avoid repeating general phrases like “huge” and “we can see”; specific comparisons will make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “however” and a comparison beginning “if we compare.” Nevertheless, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles and punctuation occur frequently. For example, “the table charts shows” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the first ever underground railway system was opened in london” needs more accurate article and capitalisation control. Several long sentences join multiple ideas with commas, making the relationships difficult to follow. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine related ideas with controlled clauses. Check singular and plural forms, verb agreement, and full stops before reviewing the data wording.

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