Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-31

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 represents the operations of underground railway in London,Paris,Tokyo,Washignton DC,Kyoto and Los Angeles.At a glance, it can be seen that the oldest railway station is London which was built in 1863 with 394 kilometers of route serving 775 million passengers each year and the most serving railway station is Tokyo, serving 1927 million passengers every year covering 155 kilometeres of route and was built in 1927

Overall, Tokyo remains the largest passenger carrier with thre second smallest route where London has the largest route with comparatively lower passenger services. Despite having nearly 200 km of route, Paris railway serves bigger number of passengers which is around 1191 million compared to london.

Even though Washington DC is relatively an old railway, started operating in 1976, it has 126 kilometeres, it has carried about 144 million passengers back in the time which is very surprising compared to the modern and recent ones. Unlike Washington, Kyoto is also an old railway that has only 11 kilometeres of route, carrying around 45 million passengers, which is comparatively lower than any railways mentioned.

The recent railway operation is in Los Angeles, which started it's journey in 2001,ccovering only 28 kilometeres and provides services to about 50 million travellers every year.

In conclusion it can be seen the service patterns of old and recent railway systems which

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important comparisons, including London as the oldest system and the longest route, and Tokyo as the busiest. You also include figures for all six cities, so the response is relevant and covers the table. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: London’s route is described as serving “775 million passengers,” and the statement that Washington has carried 144 million “back in the time” does not clearly report the annual figure. The overview also calls Tokyo’s route the “second smallest,” although it is the third longest. The conclusion is unfinished and does not add a clear summary. To strengthen the response, give a precise overview of the main contrasts and report each figure with its correct measure and comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening, an overview, paragraphs comparing the older systems and the newer ones, and an attempted conclusion. This gives the information some overall organisation. However, progression is uneven: the first paragraph combines several facts in a long sentence, and the Washington paragraph repeats “it has” while moving between opening date, route length and passenger numbers. Linking expressions such as “Despite,” “Even though” and “Unlike” are used, but some connections do not clearly express the intended comparison. The final sentence is incomplete, which weakens the ending. Grouping the figures more consistently—for example, comparing route lengths first and passenger totals second—and using clear references would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “route,” “passengers,” “covering” and “compared to,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for this task: “railway station” refers to a station rather than a whole system, “largest passenger carrier” is awkward, and “service patterns” is vague. There are also spelling errors such as “Washignton,” “kilometeres” and “thre,” alongside inconsistent capitalisation of “London.” These slips reduce precision, particularly when describing the table’s categories. Use standard terms such as “underground system,” “annual passenger numbers” and “route length,” and proofread spelling and city names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning “Despite having…” and “Even though…,” and the main meaning is usually recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain, especially in long sentences that combine several facts. For example, “the oldest railway station is London which was built in 1863” has an unclear relative clause, while “it has 126 kilometeres, it has carried…” joins two clauses incorrectly. The opening also lacks spaces after commas, and the final sentence beginning “In conclusion” is incomplete. Aim to separate data points into controlled sentences, use accurate clause links, and check articles and punctuation. This will help you retain variety while making the relationships between facts clearer.

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