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 illustrates the information about the underground railway systems in six cities (London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles) throughout the period. Units are measured in numbers.

Overall, it can be seen that, the total number of passengers per year in Tokyo is significantly higher than the other cities, while the total kilometers of route in London is higher than the other cities.

The figure of passengers in Tokyo was dramatically higher at 1927 millions in 1927 the kilometers of route was 155, whereas the figure of passengers in Kyoto is only 45 millions in 1981 and the kilometers of route was only 11. Furthermore in Paris the figure of passengers was also higher at 1191 millions in 1900, while in London 775 millions passengers in 1863.

look at : Los Angeles the passengers was fewer only 50 millions in 2001, whereas in Washington DC the figure of passengers was 144 millions in 1967.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the table, such as the high passenger numbers in Tokyo and the extensive route length in London. However, the response contains significant factual errors regarding the data. For instance, you state that Tokyo had 1927 million passengers in 1927, whereas the table shows 1927 is the year it opened and 1927 million is the passenger count. Similarly, you misquote the date for Washington DC as 1967 instead of 1976. These inaccuracies hinder the task achievement as the data is not reported correctly. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference the columns and rows before writing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs, which provides a basic logical structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally confusing. For example, the transition 'look at : Los Angeles' is informal and lacks proper grammatical integration into the sentence structure. While there is an attempt to group information, the progression between ideas is sometimes disjointed. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'in contrast', 'conversely', 'furthermore') to connect sentences and ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive. You frequently use phrases like 'the figure of passengers' and 'the kilometers of route'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations. While the meaning is clear, the range is limited, which restricts the score. To improve, try to vary your terminology by using synonyms such as 'ridership', 'network length', or 'annual passenger volume' to avoid repeating the same phrases throughout the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the passengers was fewer' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the total number of passengers... is significantly higher' (tense inconsistency when discussing historical data). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and the informal introduction of the final paragraph. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall clarity of your writing. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage.

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