Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-30
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 table present data about underground railway systems introduced into six different cities in world. Looking from an overall, perspectives it is apparent that underground railway system first time introduced in London and maximum route was covered in London but the highest number of passengers were travelled by train in Japan and lowest number of traveller travel by train in Kyoto and also minimum route in this city.
To begin with, underground railway system first time introduced in London in 1863 and route was about 394 kilometers and passagers travel by railway were 775 millions, and after that developed in Paris in 1900 and spread to 199 kilometers around the city passengers travel was higher as compared to London which was about 1191 millions passengers travel by trains. Tokyo was third city in underground railway was introduced and its network spread to 155 kilometers and the highest number of passgeners travel by trains which were 1927 millions.
Secondly, Washington was fourth city in which underground railway constructed in 1976 and route was slightly less than Tokyo and number of travellers had 144 millions. Furthermore, Kyoto was a fifth city and Los Angeles was last one in these it constructed in 181 and 2001 respectively, while cover route was significantly lesser in Kyoto and also number of travellers was higher in Los Angeles.
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 student attempts to address the task by summarising the data provided in the table, identifying several key features such as the oldest system in London, the largest passenger volume in Tokyo, and the smallest system and lowest passenger count in Kyoto. However, the response contains several inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student states that Tokyo had '1927 millions' passengers, which correctly identifies the volume, but misinterprets Los Angeles and Kyoto's opening years, writing 'in 181' instead of 1981 for Kyoto. Furthermore, comparisons are somewhat rudimentary and lack a fully developed overview, as the introductory overview contains fragmented thoughts ('Looking from an overall, perspectives it is apparent...'). These shortcomings place the response at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is divided into three paragraphs, including an introduction and two body paragraphs, which provides a basic structural arrangement. However, the overall progression is disrupted by awkward transitions and run-on sentences, such as 'To begin with, underground railway system first time introduced in London in 1863 and route was about 394 kilometers and passagers travel by railway were 775 millions, and after that developed in Paris...'. Cohesive devices are repetitive and frequently mechanical ('To begin with', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore'), and referencing is sometimes unclear, making the flow difficult to follow at times. Paragraphing attempts are visible, but internal logical cohesion requires significant improvement, leading to a Band 5.0 score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses a limited and repetitive range of vocabulary suited to basic descriptions, such as 'city', 'route', 'kilometers', and 'passengers'. There are numerous spelling errors throughout the text, including 'passagers' instead of passengers, 'passgeners', and awkward lexical choices like 'cover route' instead of 'route length' or 'network size'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic of underground railway systems, the frequent word-choice and spelling errors, combined with a lack of less common lexical items used accurately, reflect the descriptors for Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty and grammatically strained. There are persistent errors in article usage, prepositions, and verb tenses, such as 'The table present data' (subject-verb agreement), 'underground railway system first time introduced' (passive voice omission), and 'traveller travel by train'. Punctuation is also weak, relying heavily on comma splices to link long, disjointed clauses. Because frequent grammatical errors cause some difficulty for the reader and accurate sentences are in the minority, the grammar aligns with Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0.
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