Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-11
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 shows information about the subways in six cities. The longest underground railways route was laid in London In the year of 1863. Seven hundred seventy-five million passengers travelled in it per year. The second largest metro was built in Paris in 1900. One thousand one hundred million travelers used it in single year. The most used metro was constructed in Tokyo in 2000. The total number of people travelled in it in a single year was one thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven million. The underground railway systems that are least used by people in single years were developed in Kyoto and Los Angeles in 1981 and 2001 simultaneously. Only forty five passenger used Kyoto subways. While just fifty people used Los Angeles railway. Meanwhile, averaged used railway system is of one built in Washington DC in 1976. One hundred and forty four people used it. The oldest subway displas in table was built in London in 1863also the longest one.
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 six cities and includes the required data points. However, the analysis is largely a list of facts rather than a summary of main features and comparisons. There are significant factual errors: you state Tokyo opened in 2000 (the table says 1927) and misinterpret the passenger data by omitting the 'millions' unit, leading to nonsensical claims like 'forty five passenger used Kyoto subways'. This misinterpretation of the data significantly impacts the accuracy of the report. To improve, focus on grouping the data (e.g., oldest vs. newest, largest vs. smallest) rather than listing each city individually.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response lacks paragraphing, which makes it difficult to follow. While there is a basic attempt at logical sequencing, the progression is mechanical. Cohesive devices are limited and often misused; for example, the use of 'simultaneously' is inappropriate in this context, and 'meanwhile' is used to transition between unrelated facts. The lack of clear paragraph breaks between the introduction, body, and overview hinders the overall flow. To improve, use clear paragraphing to separate different categories of information and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your comparisons more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic verbs like 'built' and 'used'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'averaged used railway system' and 'displas in table'. The failure to correctly interpret the unit 'millions' leads to a lack of precision in reporting the data. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more varied vocabulary to describe trends and comparisons, such as 'commenced operations', 'extensive network', or 'annual ridership', and ensure you correctly interpret the units provided in the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'The longest underground railways route was laid' (subject-verb agreement), 'in single year' (missing article), and 'displas in table' (spelling/word form). The sentence structure is often repetitive, with many sentences starting with the subject. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors is noticeable and occasionally distracts the reader. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for articles and pluralization would help improve the accuracy of your writing.
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.