Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-05
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 illustrated the underground railway systems in different cities. In general it had given date opened, kilometers of route and passengers per year.
Overall, it is clear that in general London had largest kilometers while Kyoto had the least kilometers whereas Tokyo has the larger number of passengers while Kyoto has dramastically low passengers of all.
In the year 1863, London had the largest number of kilometers which was 394 while Paris has fewer low to 199 then Tokyo had slightly low to paris which was 155 but Tokyo has largerst number of passengers of 1927.
Washington DC had 126 of passengers and 144 passengers while kyoto had the lowest to both kilometers and passengers to 11 and 45 and los angeles had slightly higher than kyoto of 28 and 50.
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 fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified the main features and made some comparisons, the analysis is quite superficial. You have correctly highlighted the extremes (London for route length, Tokyo for passenger numbers), but the report lacks depth in comparing the middle-tier cities. Furthermore, there are factual inaccuracies in your description, such as stating Washington DC had '126 of passengers and 144 passengers', which confuses the data categories provided in the table. To improve, ensure you cover all data points accurately and provide a more thorough analysis of the trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of varied cohesive devices. You rely heavily on simple conjunctions like 'while' and 'and'. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is somewhat abrupt. To improve, try using a wider range of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', or 'Conversely'. Additionally, ensure that your referencing is clear so the reader can easily follow the comparison between the different cities.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use basic descriptors like 'largest', 'lowest', and 'slightly higher'. There are also some awkward word choices, such as 'dramastically low', which is a misspelling of 'dramatically'. To improve, aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary related to data reporting, such as 'the most extensive network', 'the highest volume of commuters', or 'a marginal difference'. Expanding your range of adjectives and adverbs will help you describe the data more effectively.
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. For instance, 'The chart illustrated' should be 'The chart illustrates' (present tense for data analysis). You also struggle with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'Paris has fewer low to 199'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring your verb tenses are consistent throughout the report. Proofreading for small errors like 'has' versus 'had' will also help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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