Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-06
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 given table illustrates the data regarding the underground railway systems in six major cities of the world.
To begin with, the capital of Japan, Tokyo in which, the railway system was established in the year 1927. Moreover, the government of it built a 155 kilometers of rout in that year and total 1927 millions passengers were traveled per year. When we talk about, London the underground railway system was constructed in the year 1863 it was the first city among all to built it. The total 394 kilometers of lane was constructed by the London government and total 775 millions travellers was travelling per year. Furthermore, in Paris, the system was opened in 1900 the rout was built around 199 kilometers and 1191 passengers was travelling per year.
In Washington DC, the railway system was established in 1976, the rail lane was built 126 kilometers and 144 millions travellers were travel in the particular year. In addition, in Kyoto the system was constructed in 1981, in which, the least kilometers rout as well as passengers were also the lowest among all the cities, At the end, Los Angeles system was newly established in 2001, rout was only of 28 kilometers and the travellers were 50 millions per year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
You have successfully identified the main features of the table, such as the oldest and newest systems and the extremes in passenger numbers. However, the response lacks a clear overview or summary paragraph that synthesizes the data. Instead, you have provided a list-like description of each city individually. To reach a higher band, you should group the data more effectively by comparing cities (e.g., contrasting the high passenger volume in Tokyo with the low volume in Kyoto) rather than listing them one by one. While all parts of the task are addressed, the lack of a comparative overview limits the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You rely on basic linking words like 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' to connect sentences, which makes the flow feel repetitive. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'the government of it built a 155 kilometers of rout', where the pronoun usage is awkward. While the paragraphing is present, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using more varied cohesive devices to link the data points more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive. You frequently use the same words, such as 'system', 'constructed', and 'built'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'total 1927 millions passengers were traveled' and 'the least kilometers rout'. These errors do not impede communication, but they demonstrate a limited range of vocabulary. To improve, try to use more precise terminology related to data reporting, such as 'commuters', 'annual ridership', or 'network length'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'total 775 millions travellers was travelling' and 'the rout was built around 199 kilometers'. Additionally, there are punctuation issues and run-on sentences, such as 'When we talk about, London the underground railway system was constructed in the year 1863 it was the first city among all to built it.' These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though the meaning remains clear.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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