Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-23
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 provided table chart illustrates the information of the underground railway systems in six different cities all over the world.
Overall, it is clear that in London has the oldest railway system and it has longest route in the United Kingdom, followed by Paris has the second oldest train with large number of passengers travel from this train. The highest amount of passengers travel in Tokyo railway system. Kyoto and Los Angeles had the lowest share in three categoies.
To begin with, London railway system has the oldest underground train system which opened in 1863 and this train can travel 394 kilometers , which has the highest figure and 775 million passengers travel per year. Paris underground railway system developed in 1900, 199 kilometers of route and passengers travel 1191 million which has the largest figure.
Turning to the next, Tokyo train system estabilised in 1976 with 126 kilometers route. 144 million passengers travel. Kyoto and Los Angeles had the smallest number in three categories railway system built in 1981 and 2001. Kilometers of route 11 and 28. people who travel in these trains. which was 45 million and 50 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by summarising the main features of the underground railway systems shown in the table. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, mentioning the oldest system (London) and highest passenger numbers (Tokyo). However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in the body paragraphs. For instance, the student states that Paris has 199 kilometers of route and passengers travel 1191 million 'which has the largest figure' when Tokyo actually has the highest passenger numbers at 1927 million. Furthermore, in the fourth paragraph, the student mistakenly claims that the Tokyo train system was established in 1976 (which is actually Washington DC) and mixes up details regarding Kyoto and Los Angeles. These errors in reporting data prevent the response from fully and accurately covering all parts of the task, limiting the score to a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is structured into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, which shows an overall organisational structure. Paragraphing is attempted appropriately to divide different cities. However, the progression of ideas is frequently disrupted by poor logical sequencing and mechanical cohesive devices. Phrases like 'Turning to the next' are unnatural, and referencing is often unclear, such as jumping between different cities and categories without smooth transitions. While the writer attempts to use logical connectors ('To begin with', 'Overall'), the execution is faulty and creates confusion for the reader. Therefore, the coherence and cohesion of the essay align with the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to the prompt such as 'underground railway systems', 'route', 'kilometers', and 'passengers'. However, there are frequent lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as 'table chart' (redundant), 'estabilised' (spelling error), and awkward phrasing like 'large number of passengers travel from this train' and 'share in three categoies'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision and correct collocation. Although communication is generally maintained despite these errors, the vocabulary control is characteristic of a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many sentences contain major grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Examples of structural and grammatical flaws include 'it is clear that in London has the oldest railway system', 'followed by Paris has the second oldest train', and fragments such as 'Kilometers of route 11 and 28. people who travel in these trains. which was 45 million and 50 million.' Punctuation and clause structures are frequently faulty, often causing difficulty for the reader and obscuring the intended meaning. The frequency and severity of these grammatical errors place this response firmly in the Band 5.0 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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