Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-03

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 chart illustrates the proportion of six cities and provides information about the underground railway systems.

Overall, this chart contains neccessary data from year 1863 to 2001 about distances and pasengers per year.

To begin with, Tokyo is accounted for the highest proportion of individuals and average distance of 155 km in the year 1927, whereas Kyoto contains lowest share of passengers and distance which is 45 million and route of 11 km in the year 1981, among all other cities. Moreover, Londen is one of the oldest underground system opened in the year 1863 with 775 million passengers with distance of 394 km.

On other hand, Washington DC was established in the year 1976, with approximately 144 million travellers. however, Paris was accounted as second largest city with highest number of passengers in the year 1900, whereas, Los Angeles was second least city to contribute in proportion of travellers in the modern year 2001 with route distance of 28 km.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the topic and include several relevant comparisons, such as Tokyo having the most passengers and London having the longest route, while Kyoto has the shortest route and lowest passenger figure. However, the overview is not fully accurate: Tokyo’s 155 km is not the greatest distance, and Paris—not Tokyo—has the second-highest passenger total. Some key figures are also omitted, including Paris’s 199 km route and Los Angeles’s 50 million passengers. Phrases such as “proportion of six cities” do not clearly describe what the table measures, and the comparison of Paris as the “second largest city” is unclear. To strengthen the response, give a precise overview of the main contrasts and report the figures accurately for all six systems.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body sections that group information using phrases such as “To begin with” and “On other hand.” This gives the reader some sense of progression. However, the organisation is not consistently logical: the first body paragraph combines Tokyo, Kyoto, and London, while the second shifts between Washington, Paris, and Los Angeles without a clear comparison principle. Some linking is also awkward or unclear, particularly “whereas” where the ideas are not directly contrasted. Grouping the oldest and longest systems separately from the newer and shorter ones, and using clearer links between comparisons, would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “illustrates,” “established,” “travellers,” and “contribute,” and use terms related to the table such as “route” and “passengers.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing data. “Proportion” suggests percentages, while the table gives totals; “average distance” does not fit the route length; and “second largest city” is not a clear description of passenger numbers. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “neccessary,” “pasengers,” and “Londen.” Aim for precise, repeated task vocabulary rather than substituting less suitable terms: for example, use “annual passenger numbers” and “route length.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, including comparisons introduced by “whereas” and “with.” This shows an attempt to vary sentence structure, and the main meaning is generally recoverable. However, control is uneven in the longer sentences. For example, “Tokyo is accounted for the highest proportion” has an incorrect verb pattern, and “Kyoto contains lowest share” is missing an article and uses an unsuitable construction. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “however” after a full stop and the comma-heavy sentence about Paris and Los Angeles. Practise accurate comparative structures such as “Tokyo recorded the highest passenger total,” and check articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries.

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