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 provides key information about the underground railway systems in six different cities. The comparisons consests on date opened, kilometers of route and passengers per year measured in millions.

Ovarall, it is clear from the table that Londom railway is the longest with 394 kilometers of routes and a 775 million passengers per year, Whereas Kyoto on the other hand, has a 11 kilometers of route with a 45 million passengers per year which is the shortest route comparing to other cities.

According to what is shown, Tokyo railway system which was opened in 1927 has the most annual number of passengers which is 1927 million, and paris railway comes in second place having 1191 million, but for Kyoto and Los Angeles, they have the least number of yearly passengers, with 45 million for the first and 50 million for the latter. But comparing the size of the route to the annual number of passengers, Washington DC railway has a 126 kilometers of route with only 144 million passengers yearly.

In terms of oldest railway system, London is the oldest among the six cities, which was opened in 1863, and Paris comes after it in 1900, while Washington DC in 1927

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important features, including London as the oldest and longest system, Tokyo as the busiest, and Kyoto as having the shortest route. These comparisons show a relevant understanding of the table. However, coverage is incomplete: Los Angeles is mentioned only in the passenger comparison, and its opening date and route length are not reported. The final sentence also stops after saying Washington DC opened “in 1927,” which is inaccurate; the table gives 1976. The overview focuses on extremes but does not summarise the broader pattern across the six systems. To strengthen the response, report the key figures for all cities and check each comparison against the table before writing it. (Eight words copied from the task prompt were excluded from the authoritative word count.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs discussing passenger numbers and opening dates. This helps the reader follow the main categories of information. However, progression is uneven because the final paragraph ends abruptly, and the opening-date comparison is not completed. Some linking is mechanical or unclear, particularly “Whereas Kyoto on the other hand,” which combines contrasting signals, and “But comparing the size of the route…” introduces a comparison without explaining its significance. Grouping the cities more systematically—for example, oldest and newest systems, then route length and passenger use—would create a clearer progression. Use linking phrases selectively and ensure each paragraph develops a complete comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “annual number of passengers,” “comes in second place,” and “oldest among the six cities.” This gives you a workable range for the task. However, several spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, such as “consests,” “Ovarall,” and “Londom,” and some phrases are awkward or imprecise: “the comparisons consests on” and “a 45 million passengers per year.” Repeated use of “route” and “passengers” also limits variety. Aim for accurate, conventional data-reporting expressions and check spelling carefully. For example, “records the highest annual ridership” is more precise than “has the most annual number of passengers.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, using clauses such as “which was opened in 1927” and contrasts introduced by “while.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors recur in sentence construction and grammatical patterns. Examples include “a 775 million passengers,” “a 11 kilometers of route,” and “with only 144 million passengers yearly,” where articles and noun phrases are not formed correctly. The final sentence is incomplete, ending with “while Washington DC in 1927,” and the contrastive sentence beginning “Whereas Kyoto” is not well controlled. Practise accurate plural and article use, and make sure every sentence has a complete main clause. Punctuate and proofread longer sentences before finishing.

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