Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-06

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 details key features of the underground railway networks across six global cities, focusing on their opening dates, track lengths and annual passenger numbers.

London features the oldest underground system, established in 1863, and boasts the longest network among all six cities at 394 kilometers, serving 775 millions passengers annually. Paris followed in 1900 with a 199 kilometers network that carries 1191 million passengers per year. Although, Tokyo's network was built later in 1927 and spans 155 kilometers, it records the highest annual passenger traffic, serving 1927 million people.

The remaining three cities feature significantly newer and smaller systems. Washington DC opened it's 126 kilometer railway in 1976, catering to 144 million travelers annually. Meanwhile, Kyoto and Los Angeles built the smallest networks, established in 1981 and 2001 respectively. Kyoto's 11 kilometer track serves 45 million passengers per year, Whereas Los Angeles operates a 28 kilometer system carrying 50 million travelers annually.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively covers all requirements of the task. You have successfully identified the main features of the underground systems and provided relevant comparisons between the cities. The data is accurately reported, and the overview is clear. You have grouped the information logically by comparing the older, larger systems with the newer, smaller ones, which demonstrates a good grasp of the data. All parts of the prompt are addressed, and the information is well-selected to provide a concise summary of the table.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the older, more established systems from the newer ones. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Meanwhile', and 'respectively' are used appropriately to link information. The flow of the text is smooth, and the referencing is clear throughout. The structure is coherent, making the information easy to follow for the reader.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data accurately, such as 'established', 'boasts', 'annual passenger traffic', and 'catering to'. The word choices are precise and appropriate for an academic report. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated synonyms or varied reporting verbs could further enhance the lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free; however, there are a few minor slips, such as the unnecessary capitalization of 'Whereas' in the middle of a sentence and the possessive error 'it's' (should be 'its'). Despite these minor punctuation and grammatical slips, the meaning is never impeded, and the control is generally strong.

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

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