Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-27

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 7.5)

The table provides data on railway transportation systems in six different cities.

London has the oldest rail network with the longest stretching railroad out of all six cities. However, Tokyo;s railway system carries the highest number of passengers each year.

Out of the six cities, the oldest underground railway transport was opened in 1863 in London, followed by Paris's rail system which started operating in 1900. Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles also opened their underground railway metro in the years 1927,1976,1981 and 2001 respectively. The railroad in London has the longest route stretching 394 kilometers, the only one in the list crossing 200km. Paris's rail track's length is only 199km, followed by Tokyo and Washington DC with track length of 155km and 126km respectively.

Despite being the oldest and the longest railway system, London does not carry the highest number of passengers every year. Tokyo's railway was the busiest with 1927 million people travelling each year, followed by 1191 million passengers in Paris's railway. London's railway network only transports 775 million people, succeeded by 144 million travelling by the underground railway in Washington DC. Kyoto and Los Angeles's railway systems are comparatively newer and both rail routes do not stretch to long distances. This is why these both attract less amount of people. 45 million people travel by Kyoto's railway each year and 50 million travel by Lon Angeles's railway system.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main features, such as the oldest/longest systems and the busiest networks, and provided relevant comparisons. The data is accurately reported, and the overview is clear. To reach a higher band, ensure that the comparison between the newer systems (Kyoto and Los Angeles) and the older ones is more analytical rather than just descriptive. You have successfully selected and reported the key information from the table, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You use paragraphing effectively to separate the introduction, the chronological data, and the passenger statistics. Cohesive devices such as 'however', 'despite', and 'followed by' are used appropriately to link information. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'railway transportation systems', 'stretching', and 'comparatively newer' are used well. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'attract less amount of people' (should be 'fewer people') and 'railroad' (which often refers to surface trains; 'underground' or 'metro' is more precise here). However, these errors do not impede communication and you show an ability to use topic-specific vocabulary effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some punctuation errors, such as the semicolon in 'Tokyo;s' and the missing space after the comma in '1927,1976'. Additionally, there are minor grammatical slips like 'these both attract' (should be 'both of these attract'). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and you demonstrate good control over sentence construction. The use of 'respectively' is a strong point, showing an ability to handle complex data reporting accurately.

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