Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-22

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 railway systems of six cities, which are located underground.

First railway system was opened at London, which is also the longest one. The latest railway system was opened at 2001 in the Los Angeles city.

The railway system opened by London in 1863 contain on largest distance which is 394 kilometeres. After this Paris opened there railway system in 1900. The largest number of passengers using this under ground railway system can seen for Tokyo. By this route, 1927 millions passengers are traveling per year. The Kyoto railway system contain on smallest distance, which is only of 11 kilometers. This is opened in 1981 just before from the railway system of Los Angeles. The Railway system which is being using by smallest number of people among them all is Kyoto raiway system. It is using by 45 million people per year. and it is th

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several important features, including London as the oldest and longest system, Tokyo as having the highest annual passenger total, and Kyoto as the shortest and least-used system. These are relevant comparisons and show an understanding of the table. However, the summary is only partial: it gives little account of the figures for Washington, and does not compare passenger numbers across the cities beyond naming the highest and lowest. Some statements are also unclear or inaccurate, such as saying the London system “contain on largest distance” and describing Kyoto as opened “just before” Los Angeles without clearly presenting the dates. Include a concise overview and report the main contrasts across all six systems, using accurate figures and clear comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the table, notes the oldest and newest systems, and then discusses several extremes. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, the ideas do not develop in a clear overall progression, and the second paragraph moves between opening dates, route lengths and passenger totals without a consistent grouping. Linking is limited, with repeated use of “which” and “The railway system,” while the unfinished final phrase (“and it is th”) disrupts the ending. Group the information into logical comparisons—for example, older and longer systems, then passenger use and the newer, smaller systems—and use clear transitions to show how each point relates to the overview.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “railway system,” “route,” “passengers,” “longest,” and “smallest distance,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are awkward, which makes parts of the report difficult to follow: “contain on largest distance,” “opened by London,” and “using this under ground railway system” are examples. There are also spelling and form errors such as “kilometeres” and “raiway.” Aim for precise, natural expressions used in data reports, such as “has the longest route,” “was opened in,” and “carries X million passengers annually.” Avoid repeating “railway system” when a clear reference such as “network” will do.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with relative clauses, as in “The Kyoto railway system contain on smallest distance, which is only of 11 kilometers.” However, the longer structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences hard to interpret. Examples include “First railway system was opened at London,” “Paris opened there railway system,” and “1927 millions passengers are traveling per year.” These show problems with articles, prepositions, agreement, pronouns and tense or sentence construction. The final fragment also leaves the response incomplete. Practise accurate past-tense forms for opening dates and present-tense forms for annual usage, then build longer comparisons from correctly formed clauses.

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