Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The table illustrates the data including the opening date, length of the routes and the number of annual passengers about the underground railway systems of London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles.

Overall, London has the oldest and longest underground railway system, whereas Los Angeles has the newest one. In terms of annual passengers, Tokyo was by far the busiest one, while Kyoto carried the fewest passengers.

The longest route of 394 km has covered by the London railways which was the oldest one that has established in 1863. It also has served for 775 million passengers. Moreover, the Paris railway system has opened in 1900, covered 199 km and carried 1191 passengers per year. Tokyo railways started operating in 1927. Although it travelled for only 155 km, it the busiest one, which has transported 1,927 million passengers.

Moving further, the newest railway network was of Los Angeles that started serving from 2001. The figure of 50 million passengers travelled each year at a 28 km long railway system of Los Angeles. Kyoto started in 1981, it has the shortest network of just 11 km and carried only 45 millions of people in a year. Washington Dc was opened in 1976, carried 144 millions travellers annually on a 126 km long route of underground railway system.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task. You have identified the main features, such as the oldest/longest systems and the busiest ones, and provided relevant comparisons. The overview is clear and highlights the key trends effectively. However, the report could be improved by grouping the data more logically rather than listing each city individually. For example, grouping the 'older' systems (London, Paris) versus the 'newer' ones (Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles) would provide a more analytical approach. Overall, the data is accurately reported and the main features are well-selected.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'in terms of', and 'moreover' to link ideas. However, the progression within the body paragraphs is slightly mechanical, relying heavily on listing facts city by city. To improve, try to use more varied transition signals and ensure that comparisons are integrated more smoothly between sentences. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the information flows in a way that is easy for the reader to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. You use terms like 'illustrates', 'annual passengers', and 'network' appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'travelled for only 155 km' (should be 'covered') and 'carried 45 millions of people' (should be '45 million people'). While the vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more precise collocations related to data reporting would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The longest route... has covered by the London railways' (passive voice error) and 'it the busiest one' (missing verb). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and pluralization, such as '45 millions of people'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.

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