Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-12

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 table shows the the data of underground railway in six different cities.

The data shows six cities in which the underground railways are located such London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles. From the table data Tokyo was the city with highest passanger ratio, while Kyoto is consider the lowest one.

London is the largest underground railway country. It way spread on 394 kilometer and passanger ratio is 775 milions per year. In contrast on the other hand table shows Kyoto is the smaller one. The railway covered eleven kilometer area with only 45 millions passangers per year. The highest passanger rate is in Tokkyo about 1927 millions passenger ratio per year . In others countries like Paris Washington DC Los angeles is consider in the intermediate ratio because of their low passenger valve

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the six cities and report several key figures, including London’s longest route (394 km), Tokyo’s highest annual passenger total (1,927 million), and Kyoto’s low figures (11 km and 45 million). However, the summary is incomplete and does not clearly compare all the main features. Paris, Washington, and Los Angeles are grouped vaguely as having an “intermediate ratio,” although their figures differ considerably; the opening dates are not reported at all. The overview also calls Kyoto the lowest without distinguishing route length from passenger numbers. The response is 13 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail available. To improve, include the opening-date range and make accurate comparisons across all four columns.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation: the response begins with an introduction, then identifies the highest passenger figure and compares London with Kyoto. Linking expressions such as “while” and “In contrast” show an attempt to connect information. However, progression is limited, and the final sentence compresses three cities into an unclear generalisation rather than presenting their figures in a logical comparison. “In contrast on the other hand” uses two contrasting signals together, while repeated references to “the table” and “the data” make the writing feel repetitive. Use a clear overview followed by grouped comparisons—for example, older and larger systems, then the smaller and newer ones—and use linking words selectively.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant vocabulary for describing a table, including “highest,” “lowest,” “covered,” and “per year.” These choices help communicate the broad comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “passenger ratio” for passenger numbers, “railway country” for a railway system, and “passenger valve” for passenger value or total. Spelling errors such as “passanger,” “Tokkyo,” and “milions” also reduce clarity and control. Aim for precise data-reporting language, including “annual passenger numbers,” “route length,” and “recorded,” and check spelling carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You produce several understandable simple sentences and attempt to connect ideas with clauses, as in “Tokyo was the city with highest passenger ratio, while Kyoto is consider the lowest one.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward. Examples include the duplicated article in “the the data,” the missing article in “with highest,” and the incorrect verb form in “Kyoto is consider.” The sentence beginning “In others countries” also has problems with number agreement and sentence construction. Practise accurate comparisons using patterns such as “Tokyo had the highest annual passenger total, whereas Kyoto had the lowest,” and check articles, verb forms, and singular/plural agreement.

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