Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-31

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 4.0)

It has been observed that the main six cities in which the railway system underground shown

if we talk about the city London .In London underground railway system was opened in 1863 and its total route was about 394 and in it the passenger seated about 775

In Paris it was opened in 1900 and its route abiut 199 kilometers total it consume 1191 people in it

Such other country which was Tokyo in It railway system was established in 1927 and run about to 155 kilometers with 1922 passenger on it

if we talked about the Washington railway symtem launched on 1976 with 116 kilometers routes and 144 passenger in it if we comparison between these citues in Tokyo and Paris in these the underground railway system was more effective nad economical

the railways system was very measurable and good right for the citizen which was very helpful system

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response3.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.0
Lexical Resource4.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies several relevant figures, including London’s opening date and route length, and it attempts comparisons between cities. However, it does not give a clear overview of the main patterns in the table, such as London having the oldest and longest system, Tokyo carrying the most passengers, and Kyoto having the shortest route and lowest passenger total. Coverage is also incomplete: Kyoto and Los Angeles are omitted, and some figures are inaccurate, including Tokyo’s passenger total and Washington’s route length. The claim that the systems were “effective and economical” is not supported by the data. To strengthen the report, summarise the key contrasts first, then accurately compare all six cities using the table’s figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic sequence through several cities, and phrases such as “In Paris” and “if we talked about the Washington” signal a change of focus. However, the response is presented as one continuous block, with little clear progression from an overview to supporting details. Connections between ideas are often unclear, particularly in “if we comparison between these citues in Tokyo and Paris,” and the final general statement does not follow logically from the figures. Organise the information into an overview and grouped comparisons—for example, older/larger systems and newer/smaller systems—and use clear linking phrases to show contrasts. This would make the report easier to follow without relying on repeated city-by-city openings.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “underground railway system,” “route,” “opened,” and “established,” so the reader can recognise the topic. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unclear: “passenger seated,” “it consume 1191 people,” and “railways system was very measurable” do not express the intended data naturally. Spelling errors such as “abiut,” “symtem,” and “citues” also reduce precision. Aim for standard reporting language and use consistent terms such as “carried,” “served,” “route length,” and “annual passengers.” More accurate vocabulary would help communicate the comparisons rather than making the reader infer the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to combine information in longer sentences, for example, “In London underground railway system was opened in 1863 and its total route was about 394,” but control of sentence structure is inconsistent. Missing or misplaced articles and prepositions, as well as tense and agreement problems, appear in phrases such as “the city London,” “was opened,” and “launched on 1976.” Several sentences run together without reliable punctuation, making relationships between clauses difficult to follow. Use straightforward, complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check articles, prepositions, and past-tense forms. For example: “The London system opened in 1863 and has a route length of 394 kilometres.” This would improve accuracy while retaining the information.

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