Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The table below gives us information about the underground railway systems in six cities. Overall, the first underdround railway system was introduced by London in 1863 and can travel for 394 kilometers in route which is not seen in new railway systems. Moreover, the large amount of passengers per year in millions are traveld in Tokyo underground railway system, amount of 1927 passengers.

Firstly, London introduced underground railway system in 1863 which can travel 394 kilometers of route with 775 million travellers per year. Secondly, paris opened new railway system in 1900 and is on second number of kilometers of route 199 km and amount of passengers per year can travel in this train 1191 in million passengers. Thirdly, Tokyo launched in 1927 which can travel 155 km of route with largest amount of passengers 1927 in millions, in comparison with another trains.

Forthly, Washington DC founded this train in 1976 with 126 km of route with 144 passengers and Kyoto initiated this train in 1981 with smalest amount of 11 kilometers with 45 passengers. Lastly, Los Angele started in 2001 with 28 km of distance with 50 passengers per year in millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You cover all six cities and include the three measures, with relevant comparisons such as London having the longest route and Tokyo carrying the most passengers. The opening overview also identifies London as the earliest system. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not clearly summarise the contrast between the older, larger systems and the newer, smaller ones, or note that Kyoto has the fewest passengers. Some figures are also described unclearly—for example, “amount of passengers per year can travel in this train 1191 in million passengers.” Make the main trends explicit, then report each figure accurately and clearly. The response is relevant, but its key features are only partly summarised and some comparisons remain under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by details for the six cities. Sequencing the cities with “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Lastly” helps readers follow the order, and the figures are generally grouped by city. However, the repeated ordinal transitions make the progression mechanical, while “Moreover” and “in comparison with another trains” do not establish clear relationships between the data. The overview also runs into the first comparison without a clear separation of main trends from details. Organise the body into meaningful comparisons—for example, older systems versus newer ones—and use linking phrases that show the specific relationship between figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “underground railway systems,” “route,” “passengers per year,” and “introduced.” This gives the reader a basic understanding of the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “can travel … in route,” “passengers … are traveld,” and “founded this train.” These expressions make some information difficult to interpret. There are also spelling errors, including “underdround,” “Forthly,” “smalest,” and “Angele.” Use precise reporting language such as “the network extends,” “carried,” and “was opened,” and check spelling carefully. More accurate vocabulary would make the comparisons clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including a relative clause in “which can travel 394 kilometers of route” and a comparison introduced by “in comparison with.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some statements difficult to follow. For example, “the large amount of passengers … are traveld in Tokyo” has problems with agreement and sentence construction, while “Tokyo launched in 1927 which can travel 155 km” lacks a clear grammatical subject for the relative clause. Tense and article use are also inconsistent in phrases such as “introduced underground railway system.” Build shorter, complete sentences first, then add clauses only when their subject and verb are clear.

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