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 given chart illustrates the details about the underground railway system in six cities namely as London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles.

From an overall standpoint, the data mainly focuses on details of inaugaration, kilometers per route and passengers per year (in millions).

The data depicts that the oldest railway system is situated in London from all six categories whereas, the latest was opened in Los Angeles. The least amount of passenegers are recorded in Kyoto by 45 million.

In terms of totality, we can state that the highest number of kilometers covered by train is located in london by 394 kilometers of route and and Kyoto stands the lowest by only 11 kilometers of route. The greatest amount of passengers travelling are from Tokyo by 1927 million. While Kyoto depicts of 45 million which is lowest in all the respective cities. Paris details 1191 million passengers per year followed by Washington Dc 144 million, London 775 and Los Angeles 50 million respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the table, such as the oldest and newest systems, and the extremes in terms of route length and passenger numbers. However, the response lacks a clear, analytical structure. While you mention all the cities, the comparison is somewhat mechanical, listing figures rather than synthesizing the data effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure you group the data logically—perhaps by comparing the older, larger systems with the newer, smaller ones—rather than simply listing statistics. The overview is present but could be more insightful by highlighting the contrast between the age of the system and its usage levels.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. Phrases like 'In terms of totality' are not natural in this context. The transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing (e.g., 'Paris details 1191 million') is slightly awkward. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus, such as one paragraph for the age of the systems and another for the operational statistics.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, such as 'inauguration' and 'illustrates'. However, there are some spelling errors ('inaugaration', 'passenegers') and minor collocation issues, such as 'Paris details 1191 million passengers'. The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, try to use more varied verbs to describe data trends, such as 'surpass', 'account for', or 'represent', and ensure you proofread for basic spelling accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'namely as London' (should be 'namely London') and 'Kyoto depicts of 45 million' (should be 'Kyoto records 45 million'). There are also some punctuation and capitalization errors, such as 'london' and 'Washington Dc'. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentence structures are grammatically sound. Reducing these minor errors will significantly improve the clarity and professional tone of your writing.

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

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