Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-02

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 provide information (date opened, kilometers of route, and passengers per year) about metro systems in six cities such as London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles.

Overall, most of the underground railway are popular with the passengers. Cities like Kyoto and Los Angeles their metro shows less popularity between passengers.

London underground railway in the most oldest that others date opened in 1863s , kilometers of route is 394, passengers per year 775 millions. In other city like Paris metro were opened in 1900s, kilometers of route is 199 it is smaller that London metro, however metro in Paris is more popular with passengers 1191 millions per year. Tokyo underground railway date opened in 1927s and route kilometers is 155, it is less than Paris but passenger per year is 1927 millions, the most highest popularity.

Others cities Kyoto and Los Angeles date opened in 1981, 2001 in respectively. They route kilometer is 11 in Kyoto and 28 in Los Angeles. Washington DC date opened in 1976 kilometers of route is higher than the Kyoto and Los Angeles it 126 and passengers per year is higher 144 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the table’s subject and include figures for all six cities, with relevant comparisons such as London having the longest route and Tokyo carrying the most passengers. The overview also attempts to distinguish the less-used systems in Kyoto and Los Angeles. However, the main features are not consistently selected or clearly summarised: the opening dates are mostly listed rather than compared, and the claim that “most” systems are popular is vague without a clear basis. Some details are incomplete, such as giving Washington’s passenger figure without comparing it with the other cities. A clearer overview of the oldest/largest system, the busiest system, and the smallest or least-used systems would make the response more fully address the task.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable introduction, overview, and body information, and it generally moves from London and Paris to the other cities. This gives the reader some organisation. However, progression is uneven: Tokyo is grouped with the first two cities, while Washington is introduced after Kyoto and Los Angeles, despite being more comparable in scale to them. Several long sentences combine multiple figures without clear separation, and linking words such as “however” and “and” do not always show the relationships precisely. The overview’s contrast between popular and less popular systems is also not developed in the body. Grouping the largest or busiest systems together, then the smaller systems, and using clearer sentence boundaries would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “underground railway,” “metro,” “route,” and “passengers,” and the reader can usually understand the intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, including “most oldest,” “most highest popularity,” and “less popularity between passengers.” Repetition of “kilometers of route” and “date opened” also makes the report sound list-like. Aim for more precise language for describing data, such as “the oldest system,” “the highest annual passenger figure,” and “a shorter route.” These changes would make comparisons clearer and more natural while retaining the appropriate formal style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a contrast between Paris and London using “however.” Nevertheless, errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “The table provide” has subject–verb disagreement, while “Cities like Kyoto and Los Angeles their metro shows” lacks a clear grammatical structure. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and sentence construction in phrases such as “in the most oldest that others” and “They route kilometer is 11.” Several clauses are joined with commas rather than being formed as complete sentences. Practise accurate basic sentence patterns first, then add comparisons using controlled clauses and correct punctuation.

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