Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-04

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 6.0)

The table illustrates the under ground railway systems in six cities. units are given in millions and kilometers.

Overall, Majority of people travel by train in Paris and Tokyo. While, least proportion of travelers use railway to commute in Kyoto. Long distance covered by London and Paris trains ,whereas least travelled train is Kyoto

In Tokyo the number of passengers travelled by train is 1927 millions which is considered as the highest proportion among all other cities ,followed by Paris at the rate of 1191 millions per year which covered 199 kilometers of route .Whereas, though the largest number of people travel in Tokyo by railway but it covers less distance than Paris at rate of 155 kilometers. Moreover, the trains in London covered 394 kilometers with a proportion of 775 millions passengers per year.

In contrast, Washington DC travelled 126 kilometers and passengers are accounted for 144 millions a year. The least number of travelers and routes are covered by Los Angeles and Kyoto which accounted for 50 and 45 millions peoples per year respectively with the least covered distances of 28 and 11 kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data, including the oldest/newest systems and the highest/lowest passenger numbers. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the contrast between Tokyo's high passenger volume and Kyoto's low usage. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by inaccurate phrasing, such as stating 'London and Paris trains' cover the longest distance when the table shows London has the longest route, not Paris. Additionally, the comparison between Tokyo and Paris regarding distance is slightly confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are cited with greater precision and that comparisons are logically structured to highlight the most significant differences rather than listing every figure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'While', 'In contrast', and 'Moreover'. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and punctuation errors, such as the comma placement in 'While, least proportion'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when comparing cities. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that transitions between sentences feel more natural. The current structure is functional but lacks the sophisticated, smooth progression required for higher bands.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'commute', and 'respectively'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'the least travelled train is Kyoto' (referring to the city rather than the system) and 'passengers are accounted for 144 millions'. There are also minor errors in word form, such as 'peoples'. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for data reporting and ensure that nouns and verbs agree correctly in context. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning but lacks the flexibility and precision of higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in Tokyo', 'in London'), incorrect preposition usage, and issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Washington DC travelled 126 kilometers'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas and periods. These errors do not generally impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly regarding articles and verb tenses, and work on integrating complex structures more cleanly.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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