Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-29

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 the information about the underground railway systems in six cities. The cities are London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles.

Overall, first underground railway system was opened in the London and it was recorded the highest kilometers of route among all cities, while Kyoto has the least kilometers of route, while Los Angel underground system was opened later it has more number of kilometers of route. Most number of passengers per year was recored in Tokyo and Los Angeles lagged behind among all in passengers per year.

In 1863, the first underground railway system was opened in London, which has 394 kilometers of route as ranked first among all, whereas in 1981 Kyoto underground railway system was opened which has least number of kilometers of route about 11. In 1900 Paris underground railway system was opened and has almost half of the routes of London which occupied 199 kilometers of route.

Moreover, most passengers per year was in Tokyo about 1927 and Kyoto having least numbers of passenger as 45.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the table’s subject and give an overview of key extremes: London has the oldest system and longest route, while Tokyo records the most passengers. These are relevant main features. However, the summary is only partial because several important comparisons are omitted, including the passenger figures for London, Paris, Washington DC and Los Angeles, and the route lengths for Tokyo, Washington DC and Los Angeles. The statement that Los Angeles has more route kilometres than Kyoto is useful, but it is not supported with the figures. Also, the overview says London’s system was the first, but the wording “first underground railway system” could be made more precise. Select and compare more of the table’s data to develop the report fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. This helps the reader identify the purpose and the main trends. However, progression is limited because the details are not grouped consistently, and the final paragraph gives only Tokyo’s and Kyoto’s passenger figures without completing the comparison across the six cities. Linking is sometimes repetitive or awkward, particularly the overview’s repeated “while” and the opening “Moreover” in the final paragraph. Some references are also unclear, such as “it has more number of kilometers,” where the subject is not immediately clear. Organise the data into clear comparisons—for example, older, larger systems and newer, smaller systems—and use linking phrases selectively.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “underground railway system,” “kilometers of route” and “passengers per year,” so the reader can follow the subject. There is some attempt to vary phrasing with “lagged behind” and “ranked first.” However, several noticeable word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision: “most number of passengers” is unnatural, “least numbers of passenger” has incorrect forms, and “recored” and “Los Angel” are misspelled. Repetition of “opened” and “kilometers of route” also limits range. Aim for accurate, natural expressions such as “carried the most passengers annually” and “had the shortest route,” and check spelling and plural forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “London, which has 394 kilometers of route” and a contrast introduced by “whereas.” This shows some range, but control is inconsistent. Errors include missing articles and awkward verb patterns in “first underground railway system was opened in the London” and “it was recorded the highest kilometers,” as well as agreement and sentence construction problems in “Most number of passengers per year was in Tokyo.” The long overview sentence also joins several comparisons in a way that makes the relationships difficult to follow. Practise accurate article use, subject–verb agreement and complete sentence patterns, then divide complex comparisons into clearer clauses.

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