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)
The task demonstrates an information about the underground railways system in six urbans.
Overall, it is clear that the earlier started railways in cities are Londan and Paris and remaining it started after that Tokyo,Washington DC, Kyoto,and lastly Los Angels.
As we can see that london travelled 393 kilometers with 775 million passengers in a year,while paris can travelled 199 kilometers carring with passengers 1191 millions in a year as well tokyo also travelled 155 passengers taking care with passengers 1927 millions per year as we ca see that washington DC also travelled 126 million passengers in a year and kyoto also travelled 11 kilometers with 45 millions passengers in a year and at last los angeles also travelled 28 kilometers with 50 millions in a year.
AT last as we can see that the highest number of passengers can travelled through railway in Tokyo cities. And remaining of them are less as we can see that in london 775 passengers travelled.
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 the three data categories provided. However, the reporting of data is inaccurate and confusing. For example, you state that London 'travelled 393 kilometers,' which incorrectly attributes the distance to the city rather than the railway system. Furthermore, you misidentify the data for Tokyo, claiming it 'travelled 155 passengers,' which confuses the route length with the passenger count. While you attempt to make comparisons, the lack of precision in interpreting the table figures prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between the different units of measurement (kilometers vs. millions of passengers) and report the data accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The second paragraph attempts an overview but is poorly structured, and the third paragraph is a repetitive list of data points that lacks clear organization. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as the repetitive use of 'as we can see that' and 'also travelled.' The referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparisons between the cities. Improved paragraphing and a wider variety of linking words would help create a more coherent flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You frequently use the word 'travelled' to describe both route length and passenger numbers, which is inaccurate. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'urbans' instead of 'cities' and 'carring with passengers' which is non-standard. The phrasing 'taking care with passengers' is also inappropriate for this context. To reach a higher band, you should use more precise terminology related to data reporting, such as 'spanned,' 'recorded,' 'accounted for,' or 'handled,' and avoid repeating the same verbs throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'the earlier started railways... are Londan and Paris,' and incorrect sentence structures, such as 'while paris can travelled 199 kilometers.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. The range of structures is limited, relying mostly on simple sentences with repetitive conjunctions. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses, and refining punctuation to make your writing more professional and easier to read.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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