Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-28
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 following tabular chart compare the statics of underground train system in six cities ( London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles). The data of passenger given in million per year.
Overall, the first underground railway opened in London and it has longest route as compared to others; whereas , Kyoto has the shortest route and lowest passenger per year.
Turning to the details, the first underground train opened in London with the longest rout of 394 km. Moreover, 775 passenger travelled per year; while in Paris train opened in 1900 with 199 km and 1191 passenger per year. Whereas, in Tokyo it started in 1927 with 155 km of route and the highest number of passenger travelled per year,1927.
whereas in Washington DC it was started in 1976, with the 126 km route and 144 passenger per year. Whereas, in Kyoto and Los Angeles it was opened in 1981 and 2001, respectively. They both have shortest route of 11 and 28 km with only 45 and 50 passenger per year, accordingly.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to cover all parts of the prompt by selecting and reporting the main features of the underground railway systems across the six cities. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting London as the oldest with the longest route, and Kyoto as having the shortest route and fewest passengers. Key data points are mentioned, such as dates, route lengths, and passenger numbers. However, there are numerous inaccuracies in reporting the data, most notably stating that Tokyo had 'the highest number of passenger travelled per year,1927' (confusing the year of opening with passenger numbers) and misstating passenger counts (e.g., '144 passenger' for Washington DC instead of 144 million). Because of these data misinterpretations, the task achievement is limited, aligning closely with a Band 5.0 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the cities. There is an attempt at overall progression; however, the logical flow is disrupted by repetitive linking words, such as starting multiple consecutive sentences with 'Whereas' or 'Moreover'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the paragraphing is awkward, with the final body paragraph split inappropriately into two very short sections. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately. Overall, the structure shows some organizational effort but lacks clear, smooth progression, warranting a Band 5.5 score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses a basic and limited vocabulary appropriate for discussing data, such as 'cities', 'route', and 'passenger'. There are noticeable lexical errors, including word form and collocation mistakes like 'tabular chart', 'statics' instead of 'statistics', and 'rout' instead of 'route'. The student also misuses vocabulary by confusing numerical categories, as seen in the confusion between years and passenger amounts. While the language is minimally adequate to convey the general topic, the recurrent errors and limited range restrict the score to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty. There are multiple grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'The following tabular chart compare', 'train opened'), missing pluralization ('775 passenger', '144 passenger'), and incorrect punctuation and capitalization (e.g., spaces before commas like 'others; whereas , Kyoto'). These errors occur frequently and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.