Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-14

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 tabular data illustraits the underground railway sysytem, that comparision in date, kilometers and pasengers in 6 rural areas .

Ovearll, it is clearly observed that the highest number of passengers used railway in Tokyo city, while Los angeles railway became the least famouse for commuteres.

Regarding the three initial mega cities ,in London, the first railway was build in 1863, which accounted for the earlier introduction of railway.In addition, it run around 394 km, which became the longest root ever ,and 775 passengeres commuted by the train. Following the years , 1191 and 1927 passenegers used undrground railways in Paris and Tokyo , respectively. which run 199 km along with 155 km .

In terms of three remain cities , Washington DC,Kyoto and Los angeles, followed by Washington DC became the fourth most well known cities nwhere 144 passengres commuted by it , and it run approximately 126 km . Conversely , few number of passengeres used underground railway in remianed two cities, which were accounted for 45 and 50 peoples in 1981 and 2001 respectively . Werease it run only 11 and 28 km in a route.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important comparisons, including London as the oldest system and longest route, and Tokyo as having the most passengers. You also include figures for all six cities, so the response is relevant to the table. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the figures are passenger totals in millions, not numbers of individual “passengers” or “people,” and the overview incorrectly describes Los Angeles as the least popular even though Kyoto has fewer annual passengers. The opening also calls the cities “rural areas,” which misrepresents the data. To strengthen the summary, give a precise overview of the main extremes and compare the systems accurately, including the contrast between route length and passenger use.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping the cities. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is uneven, and several linking expressions do not clearly show the relationship between facts. For example, “Following the years” does not explain the comparison between Paris and Tokyo, while “Conversely” introduces Kyoto and Los Angeles without a clear contrast. The final sentence is also difficult to connect to the preceding information. Use a clearer sequence—perhaps oldest and largest systems first, then the smaller systems—and make each comparison explicit rather than relying on connectors alone.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You attempt a range of task-related vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “commuted,” “route,” and “underground railway.” However, spelling errors are frequent, as in “illustraits,” “sysytem,” “pasengers,” and “famouse,” and several word choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “Rural areas” does not describe the cities, “well known” is not an appropriate measure of railway use, and “root” is confused with “route.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning harder to follow. Focus on accurate, standard terms for describing tables, such as “annual passenger numbers,” “network length,” and “the system carried,” and check spelling carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “which” and “while.” However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors in sentence boundaries and clause structure make some statements difficult to interpret. For example, “Following the years, 1191 and 1927 passengers used…” is not a complete, clear comparison, and “which run 199 km along with 155 km” is an incomplete clause. There are also recurring problems with articles, agreement, and verb forms, such as “the first railway was build” and “it run.” Aim first for accurate, complete sentences with one clear comparison each; then add subordinate clauses only when their grammatical links are secure.

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