Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-11

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 information is about underground railway system in six cities. The data shoes in table format. In the given table gave the city name, date of opening, kilometers of route and passengers per year in millions.

The London city underground Railway open 1863. railway route is 394 kilometer and passenger used it 775 per year. Paris's opening date is 1900 and 199 km is a route. passenger travel 1191 million every year. Tokyo's railway opening date is 1927, 155 km is a route and the passenger travel 1927 per year. The opening date and the passenger number is same and the number is huge in camper to other city. Washington DC travel 126 km and open in 1976. passengers travel 144 million. Kyoto's railway open in 1981 and the route is 11 km. passengers is 45 million. Los Angele open in 2001 and the 28 km is

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. Furthermore, the task is incomplete, as the final sentence is cut off mid-thought. While the student identifies the main features of the table, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the data trends. The comparison between cities is superficial, and the failure to complete the description of Los Angeles means the task is not fully addressed. To improve, ensure all data points are covered, include a clear introductory overview, and complete the final analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks logical progression and paragraphing. Each city is listed in a repetitive, mechanical fashion, which makes the text feel like a list rather than a cohesive report. There is a lack of linking words or cohesive devices to connect the ideas or compare the cities effectively. The abrupt ending further disrupts the flow of the text. To improve, use transition words such as 'in contrast', 'similarly', or 'whereas' to link sentences and group related information into distinct paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. The student relies heavily on basic phrasing such as 'opening date', 'is a route', and 'passenger travel'. There is little attempt to use a range of vocabulary appropriate for describing data, such as 'commenced operations', 'extensive network', or 'annual ridership'. Spelling errors like 'shoes' instead of 'shows' and 'camper' instead of 'comparison' also hinder the quality of the writing. Expanding the range of descriptive verbs and nouns is essential for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammar is consistently weak, with frequent errors in sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, and article usage. For example, 'The London city underground Railway open 1863' lacks a verb tense and preposition. Many sentences are fragmented or lack necessary articles (e.g., 'passenger travel 1191 million'). There is no evidence of complex sentence structures, as the writing is restricted to simple, repetitive clauses. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, including correct verb tenses and the use of articles before nouns.

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