Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-30
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 chart compares the information of six cities in terms of date they opened, the route in kilometres and passengers they carried in one year, while they explained system of underground railway as well.
The entire chart shows that railway system of London was oldest and largest, however the number of passengers was 775, in contrast, in Tokyo's underground the number of passengers rose up, however its route was just 155km, however other needs to improve.
London railway system passengers ratio was not that good, on the contrary Tokyo have a highest percentage of passengers, while its route was not large and it's established in 1927, on the other hand, Paris passengers ratio was considerably dropped.
Washington railway system was long compared to Kyoto and Los Angeles,have passengers ratio approximately 144, however Kyoto and Los Angeles were one of the newest among these six cities, however still needs improvement exclusively.
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 attempts to summarize the data but fails to provide a clear overview or highlight the most significant trends. While it mentions all six cities, the analysis is superficial and contains inaccuracies, such as stating London had the 'largest' route (it does, but the comparison is poorly articulated) and misinterpreting the data by claiming Paris's passenger ratio 'dropped' (the table provides a snapshot, not a trend over time). The report lacks a clear distinction between the key features, such as the contrast between the oldest, longest system (London) and the newest, smallest systems (Kyoto/LA). The information is presented in a fragmented way, failing to effectively compare the data points provided in the table.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is repetitive and often misused; for example, the word 'however' is used four times in the second paragraph alone, creating a disjointed flow. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'other needs to improve,' which lacks a specific subject. The transition between ideas is mechanical rather than fluid, and the lack of clear linking between the data points makes the information difficult to follow. Paragraphing is present but does not effectively group related information to support a coherent summary.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'passengers ratio' are used incorrectly to describe absolute numbers, and the word 'system' is used repeatedly without variation. There are noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'rose up' and 'considerably dropped,' which are inappropriate for describing static data in a table. The vocabulary is generally basic and does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision required for higher bands. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of variety and the misuse of terminology hinder the quality of the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies on a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many of the complex sentences are grammatically flawed. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Tokyo have a highest'), article usage, and punctuation. The misuse of commas to join independent clauses (comma splices) is a recurring issue, particularly in the second and fourth paragraphs. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to cause difficulty for the reader and demonstrate a lack of control over complex grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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