Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities.

The first railway system among these cities present in London city.Whereas, in Los angeles railway system opened at last among these cities.

The first raiway system opened in london in 1863 among these cities. Which have longest route of 394 kilometers, 775 millions people traveled through this railway system per year. Whereas, in Kyoto city raiway system opened in 1981, it has the smallest route of 11 kilometers and only a small number of people 45 millions per year travel through this. In Tokyo railway system opened in 1927, total travel distance is 126 kilometers. But most busiest is this because 1927 millions passengers travel by this system per year. Second busiest is Paris railway system, which opened in 1900. 1191 millions passengers travel through this system per year. Total travel distance is 199 kilometers second largest route among these six railway systems. Los Angeles have a railway system which opened at last in 2001 among these cities and 2nd smallest travelling route of 28 kilometers and only 50 millions people travell through this per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the table’s subject and report several important comparisons, including London’s earliest opening and longest route, Tokyo’s highest annual passenger figure, and Kyoto’s smallest network. However, coverage is partial: Washington DC is omitted, and there is no clear overview bringing together the main patterns across all six systems. Some figures are also misreported: Tokyo’s route is 155 km, not 126 km, and its 1,927 million passengers are described as “1927 millions.” The response therefore includes relevant data but does not consistently select and report it accurately or fully. To strengthen it, add a concise overview and check every city’s figures before comparing them. The length requirement is met; the main limitation is coverage and accuracy, not length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from the oldest system to details about individual cities, and comparison markers such as “Whereas” and “Second busiest” help signal relationships. However, the information is presented as one continuous block, with no clear paragraphing or overview-to-detail progression. Several transitions are awkward or incomplete: “The first railway system…present in London city” is followed by a fragment beginning “Whereas,” and “Which have longest route” does not connect smoothly to the preceding sentence. Repeatedly starting with a city also makes the progression feel list-like. Group the data into an overview and one or two comparison paragraphs, and use linking phrases to show contrasts and rankings clearly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “route,” “passengers,” “opened,” and “busiest,” and these choices make the general subject understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “total travel distance” for route length and “people traveled through this railway system.” “Most busiest” is also an inaccurate form, while “railway system” is repeated frequently. Spelling errors, including “raiway,” “travell,” and inconsistent capitalization of “London” and “Los Angeles,” further reduce control. Aim for precise table language and varied reporting verbs, for example “network length,” “carried,” and “recorded.” Check spelling and use standard forms such as “busiest” rather than “most busiest.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparisons, but sentence structures are often incomplete or inaccurately formed, which can make relationships between facts unclear. For example, “The first railway system among these cities present in London city” lacks a correctly formed verb, and “Which have longest route” is a dependent fragment. There are also recurring problems with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries: “Los Angeles have a railway system” should use a singular verb, while “The first railway system opened in london in 1863… Which have…” incorrectly separates the relative clause. Most sentences rely on basic patterns, and attempts to combine ideas are not consistently controlled. Practise complete sentences with accurate clauses, articles, and subject–verb agreement.

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