Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-23

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 display the important data relatively to underground railway systems in six cities

overall, london was the highest kilometers of route, but kyoto was the lowest kilometer of route of underground railway system. while the Paris, Tokyo and Washington DC was slightly decline, and los Angles was gradually fall.

london was the first city of underground railway system with 394 kilometer of route, and this was open in 1863 while the 775 passengers per year (in milloins) travel with this underground railway system.Afterthat, in 1900 in paris the new railway system opened with 199 kilometers of route, 1191 passengers traveled per year ( in millions). In 1927, Tokyo build the track of 155 kilometers of route and the maximum indiviuals where traveled per year with 1927 passengers. Washington DC was build in 1976 with 126 kilometer and they had the capacity of 144 passengers per year. In 1981, Kyoto build the smallest route with 11 kilometer and 45 passenger traveled per year at the same time. In 2001. Los Angles connstructed the 28 kilometer track with 28

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify several relevant comparisons, including London’s longest route and Kyoto’s shortest, and you report many of the opening dates and route lengths. However, the overview is partly inaccurate: Paris, Tokyo and Washington did not show a decline, since the table gives figures for separate cities rather than changes over time. The response also misreports Los Angeles, ending with “28” passengers instead of 50 million, and describes Tokyo’s passenger figure as a maximum without clearly comparing it with the other cities. The main features are therefore only partially covered, and some data are unclear or incorrect. To strengthen the summary, give an accurate overview of both route length and passenger numbers, then compare the highest and lowest figures using the table.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and a sequence of details about the six cities. The opening dates also provide a useful chronological order for the body. However, progression is weakened by the unclear overview, especially “Paris, Tokyo and Washington DC was slightly decline,” which does not explain what is being compared. Linking expressions such as “while,” “Afterthat,” and “at the same time” are used, but some do not express the relationship between the figures accurately. The final sentence is incomplete, so the account stops abruptly. Grouping cities by notable features—for example, the oldest and largest systems, followed by the smaller systems—and using clear comparison links would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary such as “underground railway system,” “kilometers of route,” “passengers per year,” and “constructed,” so the reader can generally identify the subject of each sentence. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, including “slightly decline,” “gradually fall,” and “maximum individuals.” Spelling errors such as “milloins,” “Angles,” and “connstructed” also reduce precision. Some phrases are repeated rather than varied, particularly “kilometer of route” and “build the track.” Use standard data-reporting language and check spelling; terms such as “annual passenger numbers,” “route length,” and “recorded” would help express comparisons more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the dates and figures are often placed in a recognisable sentence pattern. However, errors are frequent, and some sentences are difficult to interpret. Subject–verb agreement is inconsistent in “the Paris, Tokyo and Washington DC was,” while “London was the highest kilometers of route” uses an incorrect grammatical structure for comparing figures. Articles and verb forms are also unreliable, as in “the new railway system opened” and “Tokyo build the track.” Punctuation is weak: the opening is not capitalised, there is no space after the full stop in “system.Afterthat,” and the final sentence is unfinished. Practise accurate comparison structures, such as “London had the longest route,” and check agreement, tense, and sentence boundaries.

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