Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-31
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 given table chart depicts the data of the underground railway infrastructure in six different cities.
Overall, it is evident that oldest railway tracks are the longest compared to newest ones. Furthermore, the number of passengers travelling per year are highest in Paris and Tokyo, whereas Kyoto and Los Angeles witness the lowest number of train travelers.
In detail, London train track was constructed in 1863, making it the oldest city opened the underground railway system, covering 394 Kilometers, used by more than 700 million people. Similarly, second largest underground route which is 199 km, was built by Paris in 1900, where more than one thousand million people travel per year. Tokyo records the highest number of passengers per year with 1927 million figure, similar to the year it was constructed, covering 155 km.
On the other hand, in 1976 Washington DC started its underground railway infrastructure with 126 km long route, used by 144 million people every year. However, Kyoto and Los Angeles, both have the lowest number of travelers per year with shortest routes 11 and 28 respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main features and made relevant comparisons between the cities. The overview is clear and highlights the key trends regarding the age of the systems versus their usage and length. You have successfully selected data to support your points, such as contrasting the older, longer systems like London with the newer, shorter ones like Kyoto. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, you mentioned Tokyo has 1927 million passengers, which is correct, but the phrasing 'similar to the year it was constructed' is slightly confusing and could be refined for better clarity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In detail', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the older, larger systems from the newer, smaller ones. While the flow is generally good, some transitions could be more sophisticated. For example, the link between the first and second body paragraph is functional but could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'underground railway infrastructure' and 'witness the lowest number' are appropriate for the task. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'table chart' (it is a table) and 'one thousand million people' (which is technically correct but 'one billion' is more standard). To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to data reporting, such as 'the figures for' or 'a significant disparity'. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'oldest railway tracks are the longest' (missing 'the' before oldest) and 'number of passengers... are highest' (should be 'is highest' to agree with 'number'). Additionally, 'London train track was constructed' should be 'London's train track'. While these errors are present, they do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, focus on subject-verb agreement and the consistent use of articles. Increasing the variety of complex structures, such as using more relative clauses or passive voice constructions, would also be beneficial.
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