Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-14

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 4.5)

The given table provides the information about the underground railway systems in six cities during different time periods, along with distance travelled and number of passengers annualy.

Firstly, in london it was opened in 1863, covering 394 km of the distance. The number of passengers who travelled were 775 millions per year. On the other hand, in Paris, inaugurated in 1900, travelled around 199km, taking 1191 passengers annualy. Tokyo, one of the most prominent country attracted the greater attraction, carring highest number of individuals among all comparatively. Moreover, Washington DC and Kyoto, also covered the voyage, but with lower number of people, with a sharp reduction in 1981. Consequently, Kyoto is one of the prominent countries, covering lowest distance (11km), ultimately only 45 people per year.

But next again gardual rise occured in both cases in Los Angeles city in 2001.

In comparison, the given table depicts the gradual reduction of distance covered and number of passengers, till 1976, but with sudden decline in 1981, and then again increment, with 50 millions of passengers

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the table’s subject and include several relevant figures, such as London’s 394 km route and Kyoto’s 11 km route and 45 million passengers. However, the main features are not reported accurately or fully: Tokyo’s 1,927 million passengers, the highest figure, is not stated, and the description of Washington DC is vague. The overview that the figures generally decline until 1976 is misleading, since passenger numbers rise from London to Paris and then Tokyo before falling sharply. Some comparisons are also unclear, including the claim that Kyoto is a “prominent” country. To improve, give a clear overview of the oldest and largest system, the busiest system, and the smallest figures, then support it with accurate comparisons across all six cities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from London and Paris to later-opening systems, and it uses linking expressions such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “In comparison.” However, the progression is difficult to follow because the comparisons do not consistently reflect the table, and some references are unclear. For example, “But next again gradual rise occurred in both cases” does not specify which measures or cities are meant. The final comparison repeats a general trend rather than bringing the summary to a clear conclusion. Organise the information into a short overview followed by grouped comparisons—for example, older, larger systems and newer, smaller ones—and use precise references to each city and measure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “inaugurated,” “prominent,” “sharp reduction,” and “gradual reduction,” so the response is not limited to very basic wording. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a table: “distance travelled” and “covered the voyage” suggest journeys rather than route length, while “taking 1191 passengers” does not clearly express annual passenger numbers. “Prominent countries” is also unsuitable because the entries are cities. Spelling errors such as “annualy,” “carring,” and “gardual” further reduce precision. Prefer direct, standard data-reporting language, such as “route length,” “carried,” and “annual passenger numbers,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and some longer constructions, including “The number of passengers who travelled were 775 millions per year.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to understand. In that example, the singular subject “number” requires “was,” while the sentence also needs a clearer construction for the figure. The opening phrase “in London it was opened” has an unclear subject, and “Tokyo … attracted the greater attraction” is structurally awkward. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. Aim for clear comparative patterns such as “London’s system opened in 1863 and has a route length of 394 km,” then check subject–verb agreement and ensure each sentence has a clear subject.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.