Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-13

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 underground railway systems in London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles.

Overall, the railway was first operational in London and also, having the most kilometer travel. While that of Kyoto experienced the least route kilometer and least passengers annually.

From the table, the railway system in London was first opened in 1863, with 394 kilometer travel and 775 million passengers per year. Furthermore, Paris railway was opened in the year 1900 with 199 kilometer of route and 1191 million yearly passengers. Next is the Tokyo railway systems, which was established in 1976, having 155 kilometer route travel and 1927 million passengers per year.

Furthermore, that of Washington DC was built in 1976, with a kilometer route of 126 and 144 passengers per year. Hence, the railway system in Kyoto, this was opened in 1981, having the least kilometer per travel of 11 and 45 million passengers per year. Furthermore, the Los Angeles railway station was built in 2001, with 28 kilometer travel route and 50 million passengers per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the table and provided a clear overview. You included all six cities and compared the key data points (date opened, route length, and passenger numbers). However, there is a factual error in your report: you stated that the Tokyo railway was established in 1976, whereas the table indicates 1927. Additionally, while you made some comparisons, the response relies heavily on listing data for each city sequentially rather than grouping them to highlight trends or significant contrasts. To improve, focus on synthesizing the data—for example, grouping the older, larger systems against the newer, smaller ones.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Next', and 'Hence' to link ideas. However, some transitions are used mechanically or slightly awkwardly, such as 'Hence, the railway system in Kyoto, this was opened...'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data, which helps the reader follow the structure of your report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'operational', 'established', and 'annually'. However, there is some repetition of phrases such as 'kilometer travel' and 'passengers per year'. There are also minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as referring to the underground systems as 'railway station' in the final paragraph, which is not entirely accurate given the context of a railway system. To reach a higher band, try to vary your phrasing and use more precise collocations related to transport data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'having the most kilometer travel' (should be 'having the longest route') and 'that of Kyoto experienced the least route kilometer' (should be 'the fewest kilometers of route'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'Next is the Tokyo railway systems' (should be 'system'). These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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