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 depicts information about the underground railway system among six cities, their inauguration date, total route in kilometers and number of passengers per year which is calculated in millions.

Overall, it can be seen that London is the most oldest and longest among all cities railway connection while Los Angeles city's station is the newest.

London station the oldest which was inaugurated in the year 1863 and is the longest with 775 million passengers travelling each year making it the third most used underground railway system; conversely, Los Angeles is the newest in the year 2001 with 50 million passengers and 28 kilometers route.

Paris station was built in the year 1900 and record as the second most longest at 199 kilometers and 1191 million passengers travel per year through it while Kyoto station built in the year 1981 with the shortest 11 kilometers route and the lowest number of passengers per year travel through this about 45 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several important comparisons, including London as the oldest and longest-running system and Los Angeles as the newest, and you mention the shortest route and lowest passenger figure for Kyoto. However, the overview is incomplete because it does not identify Tokyo as the busiest system, despite its 1,927 million annual passengers, or compare Washington DC’s figures. Some details are also inaccurate: London’s 775 million passengers are not what makes its route the longest, and the description of Paris as “second most longest” does not clearly distinguish route length from passenger use. To strengthen the response, select the main extremes across all three measures and report each figure accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. Comparisons such as “while” and “conversely” help connect contrasting cities, and the information is generally understandable. However, the progression is limited: Tokyo and Washington DC are omitted, and the final paragraph groups Paris and Kyoto without a clear organising principle. Some linking is also awkward or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “station” for entire railway systems. Organise the details by a clear comparison, such as older and longer systems versus newer and shorter ones, and use references that make the relationships between figures and cities explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “inaugurated,” “route,” “newest,” and “shortest.” These choices show an attempt to vary language beyond simply repeating the headings. However, several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “most oldest,” “second most longest,” and “record as,” while “station” is repeatedly used where “system” or “network” would be more precise. The phrase “number of passengers per year which is calculated in millions” is also unnecessarily wordy. Aim for accurate collocations and concise data-reporting language, for example, “carried 1,191 million passengers annually” and “had the shortest route.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at longer, joined sentences, so there is some variety in structure. Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence formation and agreement are noticeable. For example, “London station the oldest” lacks a verb, and “London is the most oldest and longest among all cities railway connection” has an unclear structure. In “Kyoto station built in the year 1981,” the clause also needs a finite verb, such as “was built.” Articles and plurals are inconsistent, as in “the shortest 11 kilometers route” and “45 millions.” Practise complete clauses and check agreement, articles, and plural forms when presenting comparisons.

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