Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-06
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 4.5)
The table provides the data about the underground railways procedures in six different major cities starting from 1863 to 2001.Units of route is measured in kilometers.
Overall, Paris considered to have a longest route compared to other cities with passengers travelled per year below than of Tokyo respectively. Subsequently, Tokyo dominant to carry highest number of travellers. In contrast, Kyoto had lowest figure recorded.
In 1900,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at only 66 words. Furthermore, the writing is incomplete and breaks off mid-sentence with 'In 1900,'. Because the response is severely curtailed and leaves out the majority of the data presented in the table, it only addresses the task in a very minimal way. To improve, you must complete the description and ensure you write at least 150 words while covering all the cities and main trends shown in the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
There is an attempt to introduce an overview and organise the response into paragraphs, but the text is cut off prematurely, preventing any clear overall progression. While basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall' and 'In contrast' are introduced, referencing is sometimes unclear, for instance in the phrase 'below than of Tokyo respectively'. The abrupt ending severely disrupts the logical flow of the writing. Developing full paragraphs with consistent linking words will help improve the structure.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, with attempts at reporting data using words like 'procedures', 'route', and 'travellers'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'underground railways procedures' instead of 'underground railway systems', and 'Paris considered to have a longest route' missing necessary passive forms and articles. Spelling is generally accurate, but upgrading your vocabulary with precise terms for data comparison will significantly enhance your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response shows a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent errors. Examples include 'Paris considered to have' which lacks the auxiliary verb 'is', and awkward comparative structures like 'below than of Tokyo respectively'. There are noticeable errors in prepositions and verb forms that indicate a limited control of grammar, although the meaning remains partially intelligible in the completed sentences. Practising complex sentence patterns and checking for missing verbs or articles will help improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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