Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-04

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)

The table illustrates, the information about the railway system in six cities mainly London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles.

Overall, London was the oldest railway station in the history opened in 1863 while, Los Angeles

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response identifies the table’s subject and names the six cities, then begins an overview by noting that London’s system opened in 1863. However, it stops mid-sentence after “while, Los Angeles,” so it does not complete the overview or report the key comparisons in route length and annual passenger numbers. Most of the information in the table is therefore not selected or summarised, and the task is addressed only minimally. The response also falls substantially short of the required 150 words, leaving no room to develop the main features. To improve, complete a clear overview and compare the extremes—for example, London’s longest route with Tokyo’s highest passenger total—then include relevant figures for the other systems.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview beginning with “Overall”. Naming the cities also gives the reader an initial sense of the table’s scope. However, the response ends abruptly at “while, Los Angeles,” and there is no completed progression from overview to supporting comparisons. The comma after “while” also interrupts the connection between the two ideas. Because the response is so brief and unfinished, paragraphing and cohesive links cannot guide the reader through the data. Develop a complete overview, then group the figures logically—for instance, older and larger systems versus newer and smaller ones—and use clear links such as “by contrast” and “whereas”.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the topic and refer to the data: “railway system”, “six cities” and “opened” are understandable choices. The response also attempts a generalising phrase with “Overall”. However, the range is very limited, and “railway station” is not an accurate term for the systems shown; “underground railway system” or “metro network” would be more precise. The phrase “in the history” is also awkward in this context, while the unfinished reference to Los Angeles prevents the intended comparison from being expressed. Use precise data-reporting language such as “route length”, “annual passenger numbers” and “recorded the highest figure” to describe the table’s main features.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response shows some control of basic sentence forms, including the opening statement, “The table illustrates…”, and the attempt to introduce an overview with “Overall”. However, the first sentence has faulty punctuation: the comma after “illustrates” separates the verb from its object. The second sentence is incomplete, ending with “while, Los Angeles” and leaving the comparison without a main clause; the comma after “while” is also misplaced. The structures used are simple and there is no completed complex sentence to demonstrate a wider range. Practise writing complete comparisons, such as “London’s network opened earliest, whereas Los Angeles’s opened most recently,” and check that every sentence has a finished clause and appropriate punctuation.

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