Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The table chart illustrates the information about the underground railway systems in six cities. The units are measured in millions.

Overall, Tokyo had gained maximum passengers, while Kyoto and Los Angeles had least and almost equal passengers. Moreover, longest route was measured for London, whereas Kyoto had shortest route.

Oldest system was for London in 1863 and newest was for Los Angeles but though Tokyo had the highest passengers with 1927million per year, on the other hand Kyoto and Los-Angeles had lowest with 45 and 50 million passengers per year as it was for a short path 11km and 28km respectively. Paris had 1191million passengers and was 199km long

However, London had the longest route among them which was 394km but still has medium passengers with 775 million. nevertheless Washington DC had less passengers for 144million but was a long route of 126km. There can be a huge difference visible for Tokyo and Kyoto is due to distance of their routes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all key features of the table, including the oldest/newest systems, route lengths, and passenger numbers. You successfully identify the main trends, such as Tokyo's high passenger volume and London's extensive route. However, the analysis is slightly disjointed. While you mention the data, the comparison between cities could be more integrated. For instance, grouping the cities by age or size would provide a more analytical approach rather than listing them city-by-city. The overview is clear, but ensure that all comparisons are explicitly linked to the data provided to fully meet the requirements for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'However', and 'nevertheless', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or forced. The logical progression is generally clear, but the flow between sentences in the third and fourth paragraphs is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus, such as grouping the 'older' systems versus the 'newer' ones to create a more cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'maximum', and 'respectively'. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'gained maximum passengers' (should be 'had the highest number of passengers') and 'short path' (should be 'shorter route'). There is also some repetition of basic vocabulary. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repeating the same phrasing for passenger numbers and route lengths throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the' is often missing, e.g., 'Oldest system was for London') and preposition usage. Some sentences are slightly fragmented or run-on, such as 'Paris had 1191million passengers and was 199km long'. Improving your control over articles and ensuring subject-verb agreement will significantly enhance the accuracy of your writing. Focus on proofreading for these minor but persistent errors to improve your overall score.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.