Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The rendered table depicts the information about the underground railway system in six different cities in London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles.

Overall, the oldest underground railway systems are London, Paris and Tokyo. Besides, the highest number of commuters in Tokyo, whereas the least number of commuters in Kyoto.

In detail, London underground system have opened in 1863 and it covered distance 394 kilometers of route and 775 million commuters per year. While, Paris was opened in 1900 and Tokyo was opened in 1927 ( Paris covered 199 km routes and tokyo is 155 ) paris was handle 1191 million commuters and Tokyo had 1927 that is highest than others.

In case of washington DC opened in 1976 it covered 126 km and 144 million commuters per year. However, the kyoto had opened in 1981 and los angles have opened in 2001, while kyoto covered 11 km of route and los angeles covered 28 km per route. Respectively, kyoto handles 45 millon commuters per year and Los angeles handle 50 million commuters per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all the required data points and identifies key trends, such as the oldest systems and the highest number of passengers. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic and lacks a clear synthesis of the data. While the main features are reported, the comparison between cities is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'highest than others'. To improve, ensure that the overview highlights the most significant contrasts more effectively and avoid listing data in a way that feels like a simple transcription of the table. The response addresses the prompt adequately but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'In detail' is used, but the subsequent sentences lack smooth flow. There are also issues with referencing; for instance, the phrase 'In case of washington DC' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. The use of 'While' and 'However' is attempted, but the sentence structures often make the connections between ideas feel disjointed. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey the necessary information. However, the range is limited and there are several instances of word-choice errors or awkward collocations, such as 'paris was handle' instead of 'Paris handled' and 'covered 28 km per route' instead of 'of route'. The repetition of basic verbs like 'opened' and 'covered' limits the sophistication of the writing. To reach a higher band, the student should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends and comparisons, such as 'commenced operations', 'spanned', or 'accommodated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('London underground system have opened', 'the kyoto had opened'), incorrect tense usage, and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of parentheses and commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered accurate. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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.