Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20
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)
This table analyses the underground railway systems information in millions per kilometer in six cities.
Overall, besides Tokyo being opened the earliest, recorded the highest number of passengers while los Angeles the least since it was established later in 2001.
While Tokyo takes lead with approximately 1927 millions of passengers per year, Paris follows in a row with around 1191. London is moderate as compared to los Angele and Kyoto which has the lowest numbers.
Despite the earlier opening of Kyoto in 1981, it significantly declined in it's growth.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, reaching only 89 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While the student attempts to identify some main features, such as Tokyo's high passenger numbers and the later opening of Los Angeles, the analysis is superficial. The summary lacks a comprehensive comparison of the data, and the misinterpretation of the table (e.g., stating Tokyo opened earliest when London opened in 1863) indicates a failure to accurately report the provided information. The response is significantly underdeveloped.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is very short, which limits the ability to demonstrate cohesive devices. There is a basic attempt at paragraphing, but the logical progression is weak. The use of linking words like 'While' and 'Despite' is present, but the overall structure is fragmented. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the final sentence where the connection between the opening date and the decline in growth is not logically supported by the data provided in the table.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student uses basic terms such as 'takes lead', 'follows in a row', and 'moderate'. There are also inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'analyses the... information in millions per kilometer', which misrepresents the data categories. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands, and the errors in data interpretation negatively impact the clarity of the report.
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. Examples include 'besides Tokyo being opened the earliest' (awkward phrasing), 'los Angeles the least' (missing verb), and 'it's growth' (incorrect use of apostrophe). Punctuation is inconsistent, and capitalization errors (e.g., 'los Angele') are present. These errors occasionally impede the flow of the text, though the general meaning remains discernible.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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