Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14

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 7.0)

The table compares data about the underground railway systems in six different countries based on the date opened, kilometer of route, and passengers per year.

Overall, Tokyo accounted for the largest number of passengers per year, while Los Angeles accounted for the lowest number of passengers. Furthermore, London was the earliest to open, whereas Los Angeles recently opened. In addition, London recorded the highest figures in kilometers, whereas Los Angeles recorded the lowest figures.

Regarding the kilometers of route, London recorded the longest route of 394 kilometers, it also was the earliest as it opened in 1863. By contrast, Kyoto had the shortest route, at just 11 kilometers. Despite this, it opened in 1981, making it one of the more recently established systems.

Looking at the passengers per year, Tokyo recorded the largest number of people, representing 1.927 billion, it opened in 1927. By comparison, Los Angeles experienced the least number of passengers, at 50 million. Its system was also the most recently opened, in 2001.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response covers all key features of the data, including the date opened, route length, and passenger numbers for all six cities. You have successfully identified the extremes (London/Tokyo/Los Angeles) and made relevant comparisons. The overview is clear and highlights the main trends effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, you noted Tokyo's passengers as 1.927 billion, which is a correct interpretation of 1927 million, but ensure such conversions are consistently clear. The report is well-balanced and addresses all parts of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on specific categories. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'By contrast', and 'Looking at' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas. The referencing is generally clear, although there are a few minor instances where sentence structure could be tighter to improve flow, such as the comma splice in the final paragraph: '...1.927 billion, it opened in 1927.' Using a semicolon or a conjunction would improve the cohesion here.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for the largest number', 'recorded the highest figures', and 'recently established systems' are appropriate for a data summary. There is an attempt to use some less common vocabulary, though the range is somewhat limited. To improve, try to vary your reporting verbs and nouns to avoid repetition of 'recorded' and 'accounted for'. The vocabulary is accurate and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the grammar is generally accurate, there are a few punctuation errors, specifically comma splices (e.g., '...394 kilometers, it also was the earliest...'). These are minor and do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching the highest bands. You show good control over basic structures and tense usage (past tense for opening dates, present for current data). Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would further enhance your score.

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

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