Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-01

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 illustrates the date opened, kilometers of route, and the number of passengers per year (in millions) of Underground Railway Systems in six cities.

Overall, London Underground Railway system was the first to be opened whereas Los Angeles' was the latest. In terms of distance of underground route, London takes the lead while Kyoto has the least number of Kilometers. When it comes to the number of passengers using the train annually, Tokyo has the largest population. In contrast, Kyoto has the smallest passengers population per year.

London's Underground Railway System was the earliest to be opened in 1863 followed by Paris in 1900, Tokyo came in the third position that is in 1927, Washington DC in 1976, Kyoto (1981) and lastly Los Angeles in 2001.

In terms of Kilometers of route, London had the highest coverage of 394 km followed by Paris with 199 km. Tokyo and Washington DC had 155 and 126 km of Underground Railway Systems respectively. Los Angeles and Kyoto came last with only 28 and 11 km in that order. Tokyo had the highest number of passengers per year that was 1927 millions, Paris was second with 1191 million. On the other hand Kyoto had only 45 million and Los Angeles 50 million Passengers per year. However London had 775 whereas Washington DC had about 144 million passengers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response covers all requirements of the task. You have successfully identified the main features and made relevant comparisons between the six cities. The overview is clear, highlighting the oldest/newest systems and the extremes in route length and passenger numbers. You have used the data accurately to support your points. To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are integrated more fluidly rather than listing data point by point, which can sometimes feel like a mechanical recitation of the table. Overall, the response is well-structured and addresses the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information by category (date/distance and passenger numbers). You use cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'In contrast', and 'respectively' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third body paragraphs is slightly abrupt. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences could be linked more smoothly to avoid a repetitive structure. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly. Phrases like 'takes the lead', 'highest coverage', and 'in that order' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'smallest passengers population', which is slightly awkward; 'lowest annual passenger volume' would be more precise. You also have a minor error with '1927 millions', where the unit is redundant or incorrectly placed. Despite these small slips, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for precise communication of the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, which ensures that the reader can follow your analysis without difficulty. There are occasional minor errors, such as the missing article in 'Tokyo came in the third position' or the slightly awkward phrasing in 'Tokyo had the highest number of passengers per year that was 1927 millions'. Punctuation is generally accurate, though some sentences could benefit from better comma placement to improve flow. Overall, your control of grammar is good and does not impede communication.

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