Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-29
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 illustrates 3 different types of key data regarding trains that run underground in six different cities.
Overall, In london of 1863, we see oldest trains with highest routes of 394km running but they only carry 775 passenger that makes. Meanwhile in 19th century we see the trains from Paris and tokyo, succeeding with the number the number of passengers they carry(1191 and 1927 respectively) but with lesser train routes of (199 and 155 respectively) another trains from 1927, of washington dc those trains did not do well with the passenger they carry plus they have one of shortest routes of 126km and they only carry 144 passengers.
Lastly
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, which significantly impacts the ability to fully address the task. While the student identifies some key features, such as the oldest system in London and the high passenger numbers in Tokyo, the analysis is incomplete. The response stops abruptly at 'Lastly', failing to cover the remaining data or provide a comprehensive summary. Because the response is under-length and lacks a concluding overview or a full comparison of all six cities, it does not adequately cover the requirements of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response lacks a clear structure due to its incomplete nature. While there is an attempt at an overview, the progression of ideas is hindered by the abrupt ending. Cohesive devices are used in a very basic and sometimes mechanical way, such as 'Meanwhile' and 'Lastly'. Paragraphing is not effectively utilized, as the response is essentially a single fragmented block of text. The lack of a logical flow and the failure to complete the summary make it difficult for the reader to follow the intended comparisons.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'key data', 'trains', and 'do not do well'. There is little attempt to use academic or precise vocabulary to describe the data (e.g., 'succeeding with the number' is awkward). Spelling errors such as 'london' and 'tokyo' (lack of capitalization) and 'washington dc' further detract from the quality. The range is insufficient to convey the information with the necessary precision required for an Academic Task 1 response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede clarity. There are issues with sentence structure, such as 'that makes' which is left hanging, and 'another trains from 1927, of washington dc those trains did not do well'. Punctuation is inconsistent, and there is a lack of capitalization for proper nouns. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. The frequent errors make the text difficult to read at times.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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