Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-05

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 7.0)

The spreadsheet compares underground railway systems in six cities. Overall, London has the oldest and longest metro system of all of the cities, whereas Los Angeles the youngest and Kyoto the shortest.

London undergound is a leader among all 6 cities with the oldest opening date in 1863 and the longest route of 394 kilometers. Next is Paris metro opened in 1900 and 199 kilometers of route, followed by Tokyo's underground established in 1927 with total of 155 kilometers, and Washington DC's metro which welcomed first passengers in 1976 and has 126 kilometers. The youngest metro systems are in Kyoto opened in 1981 with only 11 kilometers of route and in Los Angeles opened in 2001 with 28 kilometers.

When it comes to undergound's passengers per year Tokyo ranks the first with 1927 million passengers in a year, followed by Paris that welcomed 1191 million users of their underground railway system. On the third place there is London underground with 775 million passengers per year, and with a big gap the next one is Washington DC with only 144 million passengers comparing to previous cities. The lowest scores are taken by Los Angeles metro with 50 million passengers per year and in the last place Kyoto with 45 million passengers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response selects the main features and makes relevant comparisons across all six systems. The overview clearly identifies London as the oldest and longest, and contrasts this with Los Angeles as the newest and Kyoto as the shortest. The passenger figures are also reported in a useful ranking, with Tokyo and Paris at the top and Kyoto and Los Angeles at the bottom. This gives the reader a clear account of the table’s key patterns. To make the summary more fully developed, draw out a comparison between route length and passenger numbers: Tokyo carries the most passengers despite having a much shorter route than London. Also ensure the overview reflects that Kyoto, not Los Angeles, has the fewest passengers.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The information is organised clearly: an opening overview is followed by a paragraph comparing opening dates and route lengths, then one focused on annual passenger numbers. Sequencing terms such as “Next,” “followed by,” and “When it comes to” help guide the reader through the data, and the comparisons are generally easy to follow. The progression is logical throughout. Some linking language is a little formulaic, however, particularly the repeated ranking expressions “followed by” and “in the last place.” A more integrated comparison between the route-length and passenger data would also strengthen the progression of ideas. Use a wider range of concise links, or connect related figures directly, rather than presenting each set mainly as a list.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the table, including “oldest,” “longest route,” “ranks the first,” and “a big gap.” The writer also varies references to the systems with terms such as “metro” and “underground railway system.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for formal data reporting: “spreadsheet” is not the best description of the visual, “leader among all 6 cities” is awkward, and “scores are taken” does not fit passenger totals. There are also spelling slips in “undergound.” More precise collocations would make the report sound more controlled; for example, describe a system as having the highest passenger figure rather than taking a score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of sentence forms, including a clear overview with a contrast clause (“whereas Los Angeles…”), and longer sentences that group several cities and figures. Meaning remains clear overall. Some grammatical errors persist, especially in compressed descriptions: “Next is Paris metro opened in 1900” needs a relative clause or a finite verb, and “Los Angeles the youngest” is missing “is.” There are also issues with articles and possessives in “Tokyo ranks the first” and “Paris that welcomed 1191 million users of their underground railway system.” To improve accuracy, make sure each clause has a complete verb structure and check agreement and pronoun reference. More consistently accurate complex sentences would show stronger control.

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