Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-19
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 4.0)
The Table illustrates the data about the underground railway systems in six different cities, London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles are describe the Date open, Kilometers of route and passengers.
overall, it can be seen that, London dates lowest opened than other cities. Paris, Tokyo and Washington they have not enough changes in dates opened. Nevertheless, Los Angeles has the highest dates opened.
Moreover, London has the highest kilometers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. The summary is extremely brief and fails to report on the main features of the data provided in the table. While it attempts to mention some cities, it does not provide a comprehensive overview or make the necessary comparisons between the six cities. The analysis is superficial and lacks the depth required to address the prompt effectively. To improve, you must ensure you cover all columns (Date, Kilometers, Passengers) and provide a more detailed comparison of the trends across all six cities.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The response lacks a clear structure or logical progression. While there is a brief attempt at an 'overall' statement, the lack of paragraphing and the very limited length make it difficult to follow a coherent argument. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly, such as the awkward transition 'Nevertheless, Los Angeles has the highest dates opened.' The response does not demonstrate the ability to organise information effectively, which is a key requirement for Task 1.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. There are significant errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'London dates lowest opened' and 'highest dates opened,' which do not accurately reflect the data. The student struggles to use appropriate terminology to describe the statistics (e.g., 'not enough changes in dates'). The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the information clearly, and the errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the intended meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The grammatical range is very limited, consisting mostly of simple, error-prone sentences. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, such as 'are describe the Date open' (incorrect verb form) and 'London dates lowest opened than other cities' (incorrect comparative structure). Punctuation and sentence construction are also problematic. The lack of complex structures and the high frequency of grammatical errors significantly hinder the clarity of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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