Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-04
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 below display some information about the underground railway systems in six different cities.
Overall, the highest ratio of passenger per year is in Tokyo which is 1927 millions whereas the lowest ratio of passenger is in Kyoto which is 45 million.
To start with the London, the underground railway system starts in London in 1863 which is 394 kilometer long and 775 million passengers use this every year. In Paris the underground railway systems start in 1900 and is 199 kilometers long 1191 million people use it annually. The next one is Tokyo. Its opening year is 1927 and its route is 155 kilometer long and 1927 million people use underground railway per year. Underground railway systems start in Washington DC in 1976 and is 126 kilometer long and 144 million passengers use this every year. In Kyoto there are only 45 million passengers use underground railway which is only 45 kilometer long and its opening year is 1981. The last one is Los Angeles which start in 2001 and around 28 kilometer long and 50 million passengers use this railway system every year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all the data points provided in the table. However, the report is essentially a list of facts for each city rather than a comparative summary. While you identified the highest and lowest figures in the overview, the body paragraphs lack meaningful comparisons between the cities. For example, you could have grouped cities by their opening dates or compared the efficiency of the systems (route length vs. passenger numbers). To reach a higher band, you must move beyond simply listing data and instead synthesize the information to highlight trends and significant differences between the six locations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into an introduction and a body paragraph. However, the body paragraph is quite dense and lacks clear internal structure. The transition between cities is repetitive, relying heavily on simple sentence structures like 'In Paris...' and 'The next one is...'. The use of cohesive devices is limited and somewhat mechanical. To improve, you should use a wider range of linking words and phrases to connect ideas more fluidly and consider breaking the body into two paragraphs—perhaps one for the older, larger systems and one for the newer, smaller ones—to improve the logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use the same phrases, such as 'underground railway systems' and 'use this every year'. There is little attempt to use less common vocabulary or synonyms to describe the data (e.g., 'commuters', 'annual ridership', 'extensive network'). While the meaning is clear, the lack of variety in word choice limits the score. Incorporating more precise terminology related to statistics and transport infrastructure would significantly enhance your lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The table below display', 'railway systems start'), missing articles ('To start with the London'), and incorrect pluralization ('45 kilometer long'). Additionally, there are issues with tense consistency, as you switch between past and present when discussing the opening dates and current usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage.
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.