Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 chart illustrates Details about the underground railway systems in six different cities. First city that started the railway network was London in 1863. after that several underground tracks for railway was built until last which developed in 2001 at Los Angelos.

Firstly, London was the first to start the underground track for trains. it constructed in 1863 and it total length of route is 394 kilometers which carry 775 travelers per year. In addition, Paris and Tokyo both were made in early 19th century in1900 and 1927. Total route of Tokyo is 155 kilometers while Paris route has 44 kilometers more then it total of 199 kilometers despite that Tokyo wins in total no of travelers who use there railway services reaching 1927 while Paris have 1192 Passengers per year.

Secondly, Washington dc and Kyoto started in 1976 and 1981. DC total route is 126 million and total passengers every year reaching 144 million however Kyoto has the shortest route and it only serve 45 million travelers. Moreover, Los Angeles started in 2001 is have 28 kilometers of route which entertain 50 million Passengers each year by there railway network.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the topic and include figures for all six cities, with relevant comparisons such as London having the longest route and Tokyo carrying the most passengers. However, the summary only partly selects and reports the main features: it does not clearly give an overall overview of the key contrasts, and some details are inaccurate. For example, Paris’s route is stated as 44 kilometres longer than Tokyo’s, but the passenger figure is given as 1,192 rather than 1,191. More seriously, Washington’s route is described as “126 million,” confusing kilometres with passenger numbers. Make the overview explicit, then check each figure and unit against the table so the comparisons are reliable and the main trends are clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction followed by paragraphs grouping the older systems and the later-opening ones. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Moreover” help show the order of information. However, progression is not always clear because the opening repeats the idea that London was first, and some sentences combine several comparisons without clear links. The phrase “despite that” does not express a clear contrast between Tokyo and Paris, while “however” in the Washington–Kyoto sentence joins ideas whose relationship is not fully explained. Use a concise overview before the detail paragraphs, and connect each comparison directly to the feature being compared.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “route,” “total length,” “travelers,” and “passengers per year.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task. “Underground tracks for railway was built” and “entertain 50 million Passengers” do not describe the data appropriately, while “total route is 126 million” confuses the measurement. Spelling and form errors such as “Los Angelos” and “there railway services” also reduce precision. Prefer standard data-reporting language, such as “the network covers,” “carries,” and “annual passenger numbers,” and use the table’s units consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including comparisons with “while” and “despite that,” but control is uneven. Frequent errors in sentence structure, verb forms, agreement, articles, and punctuation sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “First city that started” needs an article, “it constructed in 1863” lacks an appropriate passive verb form, and “Los Angeles started in 2001 is have” combines incompatible verb structures. Capitalisation after full stops is also inconsistent. Build accuracy first with clear patterns such as “The system opened in…” and “Its route is…,” then combine clauses only when the relationship between them is clear.

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