Book 5 Academic Writing Test 4 · Task 1
Original planning guidance for the supplied practice prompt. The example is illustrative; it is not a full model answer or a rated response.
The table compares underground systems in London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles by opening date, route length and annual passenger numbers. These are the task's historical figures, not current transport statistics.
Practice target: 150+ words, about 20 minutes.
How to approach this task
- Identify the extremes before writing: London is the oldest system and has the longest route in the supplied table; Tokyo carries the largest annual passenger total; Kyoto has the shortest route and lowest passenger total.
- Keep the three measures distinct. Route length is in kilometres, passenger numbers are in millions per year and opening dates are calendar years.
- Group details rather than describing six cities in six disconnected sentences. Compare the older, larger networks with the smaller and more recently opened systems while noting Tokyo's high usage.
- Check copied figures carefully. Paris is listed at 1,191 million annual passengers, not 191 million. Report opening years directly instead of calculating a present-day age from an old exercise.
Planning example
An overview could state: London has the oldest and most extensive network, whereas Tokyo carries the most passengers; Kyoto is the smallest and least used of the six. This summarises contrasts without repeating every number.
Common mistake to avoid
A longer route does not necessarily carry more passengers. Do not claim a direct relationship when the table includes clear exceptions.
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