Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-12

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 below gives information about the underground railway systems in six different cities. The observations come from 1863 to 2001, a gap of almost a century.

In summary, we can see the longest route out of all is London's railway with 394 kilometer and the shortest one is Kyoto's railway with only 11 kilometer. While others are put between 28 to 199 kilometer. The most outdated railway is London which opened in 1863, after 37 years, Paris became the second railway opened with a halved route of London's. Moreover, Tokyo's railway opened in 1927 with 155 kilometer route, even after it, Washington DC's 126 kilometer route launched in 1976. After a decade, a railway in Kyoto opened in 1981, and then the newest one, Los Angeles's railway opened in 2001 with 28 kilometer.

The most passengers per year were in 1927 on Tokyo's railway with

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify several relevant extremes, including London’s longest route (394 km), Kyoto’s shortest (11 km), and Tokyo’s highest annual passenger figure. However, the response is incomplete: it stops mid-sentence after “with,” so the passenger comparison is not fully reported, and the figures for the other cities’ passenger numbers are omitted. The overview is also limited, with most of the response describing opening dates and route lengths rather than summarising the main patterns across all three categories. The required minimum of 150 words is not met; the response contains 136 words, with 10 words copied from the task prompt excluded. To improve, complete the passenger comparison and include a concise overview of the key contrasts in route size and usage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the table, gives some route-length and opening-date details, and begins to discuss passenger numbers. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “after it,” and “After a decade” help show chronology. However, the organisation is not fully effective because the main comparisons are mixed together, and the final paragraph begins a new topic but ends abruptly. Some connections are also unclear: “While others are put between 28 to 199 kilometer” does not clearly identify which cities or how this range relates to the figures. Grouping the information by key features—such as oldest/newest systems, route lengths, and passenger totals—and using complete paragraphs would create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “route,” “opened,” “passengers per year,” “longest,” and “shortest,” so the main subject is generally clear. There are also attempts to vary expression, such as “outdated” and “launched.” However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing data: “observations come from 1863 to 2001” and “the most outdated railway” do not express the intended comparisons naturally. Repetition of “railway” and “opened” also limits flexibility. Use standard data-reporting collocations such as “the system began operating,” “the route extends to,” and “carried the most passengers.” Check unit forms too: write “kilometres,” not “kilometer” in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison beginning “While others…” and a sequence using “Moreover.” The main figures and chronology can usually be understood. However, errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward or incomplete. For example, “The most passengers per year were in 1927 on Tokyo’s railway with” has no completed main idea, while “after 37 years, Paris became the second railway opened” has an unclear grammatical construction. In “with 394 kilometer” and “with only 11 kilometer,” the quantity expressions also need plural forms. Practise complete comparative sentences and check subject–verb structure, articles, and plural agreement before finishing.

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