Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-08

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 provides information about the underground railway systems in six cities of the World.

Overall, it is clear that on the basis of opening date London becomes one of the oldest railways and longest route as well among all of them. Besides Los Angeles is the latest railways and kyto has lowest route . While per year passenger count Tokyo has the highest passengers per year and Kyoto has lowest passengers per year.

We have divided the underground railways systems on the basis of opening date and highest passengers per year. At first the London city has opened railways at first in 1863 and it has largest route at around 394 kilometers and for passenger count it provides service to 775 million passsengers. After 27 paris underground railways was introduced in France and it provides 199 kilometers of route in range and services around 1191 million passengers per year which makes it the second most passenger serving underground railways. And after almost 54 year later than London underground railway system a new metro station opens in Tokyo in 1927 which has a range of 155 kilometers and capability of seving 1927 million passengers per year highest of all three railway systems.

Now Later in 1976 in Washington DC at the year 1976 new underground railways was introduced which has the range of 126 killometers of route and can provide service to 144 million passengers in a sing

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify several key extremes, including London as the oldest system with the longest route, Tokyo as the busiest, and Kyoto as having the shortest route and lowest passenger total. However, the response only partially covers the table: it stops during the Washington DC description and gives no account of Kyoto’s opening date or Los Angeles’s figures. Some comparisons are also inaccurate or unclear; for example, Paris is not the second-busiest system, since Tokyo carries more passengers. The overview is present, but the main features are not reported comprehensively or consistently. To strengthen the response, summarise all six cities and compare the figures accurately, especially the contrast between route length and annual passenger numbers.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: an opening statement is followed by an overview and then details about the systems, with cities generally presented in chronological order. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is weakened by the abrupt ending at “in a sing,” and the body does not reach Kyoto or Los Angeles. Linking is often mechanical or confusing, as in “Besides,” “While,” and “And after almost 54 year later,” while the sentence beginning “We have divided” does not clearly explain the structure that follows. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and grouped comparisons, and connect details with clear comparisons rather than repeated “and after” transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant vocabulary for describing a table, including “opening date,” “route,” “passengers per year,” and “highest.” These terms help communicate the subject and several comparisons. However, the range is limited and repetition is noticeable, particularly with “underground railways,” “route,” and “provides service.” Several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “one of the oldest railways,” “capability of serving,” and “passenger serving underground railways.” Spelling errors, including “kyto,” “passsengers,” and “killometers,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise data-reporting language such as “carried,” “recorded,” and “the shortest network,” and check spelling and city names carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the overview uses a contrast structure to report different extremes. However, complex sentences are often difficult to follow because clauses are joined without secure grammatical control. For example, “After 27 paris underground railways was introduced” has problems with sentence structure and subject–verb agreement, while “a new metro station opens in Tokyo in 1927” shifts tense in a past-data description. Articles, plurals, and agreement are also inconsistent in phrases such as “the London city has opened railways” and “new underground railways was introduced.” The final sentence is incomplete. Use past tense consistently for opening dates, check singular and plural subjects, and divide long sentences into complete, clearly punctuated statements.

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