Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-07
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 provides information about six underground railway systems, including their opening dates, route lengths and annual passenger numbers.
Overall, London has the oldest and longest underground railway system, whereas Los Angeles is the newest. Tokyo records the highest number of passengers annually, while Kyoto has both the shortest route and the lowest passenger figure.
Turning to the details, London is by far the oldest system, having opened in 1863, and it also has the longest route, at 394 kilometres. Paris ranks second in terms of age, opening in 1900, with a 199-kilometre network. By contrast, Tokyo opened in 1927 and has a relatively shorter route of 155 kilometres. However, it carries the highest number of passengers, at 1,927 million per year, compared with 1,191 million in Paris and 775 million in London.
Regarding the remaining systems, Washington DC opened in 1976 and has a 126-kilometre route, serving 144 million passengers annually. Kyoto, which began operating in 1981, has by far the shortest network, at just 11 kilometres, and records the lowest passenger figure of 45 million. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is the newest system, having opened in 2001, with a 28-kilometre route and approximately 50 million passengers per year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response is excellent. You have successfully identified and reported all the main features of the data, including the opening dates, route lengths, and passenger numbers for all six cities. The comparisons are relevant and well-integrated, such as contrasting London's age and route length with Tokyo's passenger volume. You have provided a clear overview that highlights the key trends, and the supporting details are accurate and well-selected. The information is presented in a logical manner, ensuring that all parts of the prompt are fully addressed with no significant omissions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You have used paragraphing effectively to separate the overview from the detailed analysis, and then further divided the details into logical groupings. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'by contrast', 'regarding', and 'meanwhile' are used naturally and effectively to link sentences and ideas. The flow is smooth throughout, and the referencing is clear, making the information very easy to follow for the reader.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases like 'by far the oldest', 'relatively shorter', and 'records the lowest passenger figure' are used accurately. The vocabulary is precise and contributes to the clarity of the report. While the range is sufficient and effective, incorporating a few more sophisticated synonyms or collocations related to data trends (e.g., 'surpass', 'marginal', 'substantial') could elevate the response further. There are no spelling or word-choice errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of complex structures used throughout the response. You effectively use participial phrases ('having opened in 1863', 'having opened in 2001') and relative clauses ('which began operating in 1981') to combine information efficiently. Punctuation is used correctly to manage sentence structure. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent. The writing is sophisticated and demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence.
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