Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07

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 illustrates the information of the underground railway system in six different cities. Here we discuss the main features and make a comparison with the cities.

Overall, the underground railway system in london opened in 1863, and route of the train is 394 kilometer with 775 million passengers per year.

Furthermore, the train railway system in Paris statrt in 1900, and his distance is 199 kilometer. In Paris, 1191 million passengers are travelling in the underground railway station. The underground railway station in Tokyo are opened in 1927 and his route depend on 155 kilometer with 1927 million passengers per yeaar. In Washington DC , underground railway starts in 1976 and his 126 kilometer route with 144 million passengers travelling per year.

Te

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the subject and include several relevant figures, such as London’s 1863 opening and 394-kilometre route, and Tokyo’s 1,927 million annual passengers. However, the response is incomplete: Kyoto and Los Angeles are not reported, and there is no clear overview comparing the systems’ main patterns, such as London being the oldest and longest while Tokyo has the highest passenger total. The response also falls 26 words short of the required minimum, limiting the detail available. To improve, cover all six cities and select the most important contrasts, rather than describing only some entries.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from an introduction to figures for London, Paris, Tokyo and Washington DC. Phrases such as “Furthermore” help signal continuation, and the information is generally understandable. However, the organisation is not fully effective: the opening says that comparisons will be made, but the body mostly lists cities one by one without grouping or comparing them. The overview is also mixed with London’s details, and the final “Te” leaves the response unfinished. Use a distinct overview paragraph, then organise the details into meaningful groups—for example, older, larger systems and newer, smaller ones—and check that the response has a complete ending.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the basic subject, including “underground railway system,” “route,” “passengers per year” and “opened.” However, the range is limited and some expressions are inaccurate or repetitive. “The information of” is less natural than “information about,” while “his distance” and “route depend on” do not express the intended meanings clearly. There are also spelling errors, including “statrt” and “yeaar,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, varied language for describing data, such as “the network extends for” and “annual ridership,” and proofread spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You produce several complete simple sentences and use some linking structures, so the main figures can usually be understood. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. For example, “The underground railway station in Tokyo are opened” has an agreement error and an incorrect verb construction; “his route” also uses an unsuitable pronoun, and “1191 million passengers are travelling” is an awkward tense choice for a general annual statistic. Most sentences follow a similar basic pattern, with limited variety. Practise accurate present-tense descriptions of table data and past-tense forms for opening dates, and check subject–verb agreement, articles and sentence punctuation.

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