Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 compares between underground railway systems in six cities, showing the year they were opened, the length of their routes, and the number of passengers they carry annually.

Overall, Paris and Tokyo have the highest number of passengers per year, whereas Kyoto and Los Angeles have the fewest. London has by far the longest railway route and is also the oldest system in the table, In general, the older railway systems tent to have longer routes, although this does not necessarily mean that they carry more passengers.

London is the oldest underground railway system, opened in 1863, it also has the longest route. And carries an average amount of 775 million passengers per year. Paris opened in 1900 and has a considerably shorter route of 199 kilometers, yet it serves 1,191 million passengers. Tokyo's railway system was introduced in 1927 and has a route of 155 kilometers. Despite having a shorter route than both London and Paris, it has the highest number of passengers per year worth 1,191 million.

Washington, DC, opened its railway system in 1976, with a route of 126 kilometres. However, it carries significantly fewer passengers than the older systems, with only 144 million passengers annually. Kyoto was opened in 1981 and has the shortest route, at just 11 kilometres, as well as the lowest number of passengers, at 45 million per year.

Finally, Los Angeles has the newest railway system in the table, having opened in 2001. Although it is newer than Kyoto, its route is considerably longer at 28 kilometers, and it carries slightly more passengers, at 50 million per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all requirements of the task. You have successfully identified the key features, such as the relationship between the age of the system and the length of the route, and provided relevant comparisons between the cities. The overview is clear and highlights the main trends effectively. Data is used accurately to support your points, and you have avoided simply listing the figures by grouping them logically. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, you mentioned Tokyo has 1,191 million passengers, but the table indicates 1,927 million. Double-checking data transcription is crucial for this task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group the cities by their characteristics. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'despite', and 'however' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the data. While the flow is generally smooth, there are minor punctuation errors, such as a comma splice in the second paragraph ('...oldest system in the table, In general...'), which slightly disrupts the cohesion. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly. Phrases like 'considerably shorter route', 'serves', and 'introduced' are used appropriately. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices could be more precise. For example, 'worth 1,191 million' is not the most natural collocation for passenger numbers. Additionally, there is a minor spelling error ('tent' instead of 'tend'). Despite these small issues, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of 'Although' and 'Despite' clauses. While many sentences are error-free, there are some persistent grammatical slips. For instance, 'The table compares between' is incorrect (compare does not need 'between' in this context), and there are issues with sentence fragments, such as 'And carries an average amount of 775 million passengers per year.' Improving control over sentence boundaries and avoiding fragments would help you achieve a higher score. Punctuation is generally functional but needs more attention to avoid run-on sentences.

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.