Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-10
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 provides data on underground railway systems in six cities with its startup year, length of route, and the number of passengers annually.
Overall, it is noticeable that the earlier built underground railways in the first half of cities have have higher number of passengers and road length compared to the relatively recently built ones in the other half.
As seen from the table, although London has the most kilometers of route, almost doubling Paris, Tokyo has the most passengers per year with 1927 million. In the second place of all three categories , Paris started its own underground railway system in 1900 and has 1191 million passengers every year. In comparison, even tough Washington DC has exceptional 126 kilometers of route, it cannot compete in last column with the first three due to its low number of passengers.
On the other hand, Kyoto opened in 1981 and LA opened in 2001 have 11 and 28 kilometers of route. Additionally both cities have around 50 million passengers per year each with Los Angeles having the higher figure.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response successfully covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main features and made relevant comparisons between the cities. The overview is clear and highlights the general trend regarding the age of the systems versus their usage and size. However, the analysis of the data could be more precise; for instance, describing Washington DC's 126km as 'exceptional' is subjective and not supported by the data, as it is significantly smaller than London or Paris. To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are strictly based on the provided figures rather than qualitative descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Additionally', and 'In comparison' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the older, larger systems from the newer, smaller ones. The progression of information is easy to follow. To improve, ensure that referencing is precise; for example, the phrase 'in the first half of cities' is slightly vague. Overall, the flow of information is coherent and well-structured.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'startup year' and 'compete in last column' are understandable, though 'compete in last column' is slightly unnatural. You use some specific terminology related to the data, such as 'kilometers of route' and 'passengers per year'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more varied and precise collocations, such as 'extensive network' or 'annual ridership', rather than repeating the labels from the table. There are no significant spelling errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'the first half of cities have have' (repetition) and 'even tough' (spelling error for 'though'). Additionally, the sentence 'Kyoto opened in 1981 and LA opened in 2001 have 11 and 28 kilometers of route' requires a relative clause or better punctuation to be grammatically sound. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication, and the range of structures is adequate for the task.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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