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 illustrate the information about the underground railway systems in six cities-London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles. calculating passengers per year in millions.

Overall, London has the oldest and the longest railway, whereas Tokyo railway was the most crowded. Kyoto and Los Angeles has the smallest railways used by small numbers of passangers as compare to others.

The oldest underground railway system was of London, opened in 1863 which is the longest one, 394 kilometers used by 775 million passangers in a year. In paris railway was opened in 1900, route is 199 kilometers, used by 1191 million passangers more than London's railway. Tokoyo has the busiest railway used by 1927 million commuters opened in 1927.

In 1976 Washington DC's railway opended and used by 144 million passangers. Kyoto and Los Angeles both has the smallest route railways 11 and 28 kilometers , used by 45 and 50 million passangers. Kyoto's railway was opened in 1981, whereas Los Anglese railway was opened in 2001..

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main patterns clearly: London is the oldest and longest system, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto and Los Angeles have the shortest routes and lowest passenger totals. You also include relevant figures for all six cities, so the key information is covered. However, some comparisons are less fully developed: for example, you note that Paris carries more passengers than London but do not compare the figures directly, and Washington DC receives little context beyond its own statistics. The opening phrase about “calculating passengers” is unclear and does not accurately describe the table. A more precise overview and a few explicit comparisons between the cities would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. The information generally moves from the older, larger systems to the newer, smaller ones, and linking words such as “whereas” help show contrast. However, the progression within the detail paragraphs is not always smooth: Tokyo is grouped with Paris and London, while Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles are then listed with limited comparison. Some links are also awkward or repetitive, and the final double full stop interrupts the ending. Grouping the cities more deliberately—for example, by passenger numbers or route length—and using clearer transitions would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “oldest,” “longest,” “busiest,” “route” and “commuters,” and the intended comparisons are generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are imprecise or repetitive. “Smallest railways” is less accurate than describing the systems as having the shortest routes, while “used by” is repeated where “carried” or “served” would be more natural. There are also spelling errors in “passangers,” “Tokoyo” and “Los Anglese,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms for route length and annual passenger totals, and proofread proper names and repeated key vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “whereas” and a relative clause in “London, opened in 1863.” The main information remains understandable, but some errors in sentence structure, agreement and verb forms are noticeable. For example, “The table illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, and “Kyoto and Los Angeles both has” should use a plural verb. The opening fragment, “calculating passengers per year in millions,” is not a complete sentence, and “In paris railway was opened” is missing an article. Check sentence boundaries, articles and agreement, while continuing to use varied structures.

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