Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-09
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 comparison of the provide information about the underground railway systems in six urban areas in term of the years, opened, routes and passengers range.
overall, the London had the oldest and longest route. while the Tokyo carried the largest range of the passengers per year. the comparison between Kyoto and Los Angeles that had the shortest routes.
length and opened is that the London has opened in 1863 and the route of the London is about 394 kilometer that is the longest route in this year and the Paris is in 1900, the road is 199 kilometers after that the Tokyo and the Washington DC there routes is almost same but the Kyoto is opened in 1981 but their route is 11 kilometers and the Los Angeles route had also very shourtes routes.
London passengers ratio is the 775 millions per year and the paris had 1191 passengers but the highest ratio of the Tokyo passengers and kyoto has also the dissignificant ratio in the term of the per year.while the Washington DC increased by the years their passengers range is 144 per 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 cities and data points provided in the table. However, the presentation of information is somewhat disorganized and lacks a clear analytical focus. While you identify the oldest/longest system (London) and the highest passenger volume (Tokyo), the comparisons are often confusing. For instance, stating that Tokyo and Washington DC have 'almost same' routes is inaccurate (155km vs 126km). The description of Kyoto and Los Angeles as having the 'shortest routes' is correct, but the overall summary lacks the precision required for a higher band. You should focus on grouping data more logically rather than listing facts city by city.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear paragraph structure, with the overview and body details merged into a single block of text. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as the repetitive use of 'the' and 'that'. The progression of ideas is difficult to follow because the sentences are often run-on or lack logical connectors. For example, the transition between discussing route length and passenger numbers is abrupt. To improve, you should use distinct paragraphs for the introduction/overview and the supporting body details, and ensure that each sentence flows logically from the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic terms like 'the' and 'range' incorrectly. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'shourtes' for 'shortest' and 'dissignificant' (which is not a standard word). The phrasing is often unnatural, such as 'the comparison of the provide information' and 'London passengers ratio is the 775 millions'. To achieve a higher score, you need to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends and comparisons, such as 'commenced', 'extensive', 'surpassed', or 'minimal'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The grammar is weak, with frequent errors that occasionally impede communication. There are significant issues with article usage ('the London', 'the Paris'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack a clear main verb, such as 'length and opened is that the London has opened in 1863'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with a lack of proper capitalization and sentence boundaries. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in grammatical errors. Focusing on basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement will help improve your clarity.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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