Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-09

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 5.0)

The given table illustrate the underground railway system in six cities about their date opened ,kilometers of route and passengers per year in London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington Dc, Kyoto, Los Angeles.

These shows a high passengers per year in Tokyo railway system ,Paris railway system while shows low numbers in Kyoto railway system and in Los Angeles railway system and moderate passengers per year in Washington Dc railway system and London railway system.

London shows a large routes while Los angles shows small routes .Mostly the railway system opens in 19 century but London railway system open in 1863 and Los Angeles opens in 2001.

Overall the table shows London large railway routes and Tokyo railway station shows a large numbers of passengers and London railway system is oldest opened in 1863 and Los Angeles railway system is modern opened in 2001.While the Paris railway system, Tokyo railway system, Washington Dc opens between 19th century.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant headline features: Tokyo has the highest annual passenger figure, London has the longest route, and London and Los Angeles are the oldest and newest systems. However, the overview is not consistently accurate or sufficiently developed. For example, you describe London and Tokyo as having large passenger numbers, although London’s 775 million is below Paris’s 1,191 million and Tokyo’s 1,927 million. The statement that most systems opened in the nineteenth century is also inaccurate: only London and Paris did so. Important comparisons, such as Kyoto’s shortest route and Washington DC’s low passenger total, receive little explanation. Select the key extremes accurately and support the overview with relevant figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some organisation: it begins by introducing the table, groups passenger figures, and ends with an overview. However, the progression is difficult to follow because several ideas are repeated, especially the points about London’s route length and the oldest and newest systems. Linking is limited, and the final sentence combines opening dates in a way that is confusing: Paris and Tokyo opened in different centuries, while Washington DC opened in 1976. Use clearer paragraphing to separate the overview from comparisons, and organise details by a consistent feature, such as route length, passenger numbers, and opening dates. More precise links between comparisons would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “underground railway system,” “kilometers of route,” and “passengers per year,” so the subject is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, particularly “railway system” and “large numbers.” Some word choices are imprecise: “large routes” is less natural than “the longest network,” and “modern” does not clearly convey that Los Angeles has the most recently opened system. There are also spelling and form errors, such as “Los angles” and “shows a high passengers.” Build a more varied set of accurate comparison phrases, including “recorded,” “accounted for,” “shortest route,” and “most recently established.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies mainly on simple sentence patterns, with limited control when clauses are combined. Errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “The given table illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “These shows” also has an incorrect verb form. In “London railway system open in 1863,” the past tense is needed, and several sentences omit articles or use punctuation poorly, such as the run-on transition “2001.While.” These issues recur across the response rather than appearing as isolated slips. Practise accurate present-tense descriptions of tables and past-tense forms for opening dates, then use shorter, clearly punctuated sentences before attempting more complex comparisons.

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