Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-15

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 shows the comparison of underground railway systems of six different cities, including London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles

Overall, London had the oldest underground railway station which covers the greatest distance. Tokyo had the largest number of passengers per year while Los Angeles underground railway was newest as compare to other cities.

First underground railway was opened in London in 1863 which had 775 millions passengers per year and it had the longest route of 394 km. Second underground station was constructed in Paris in 1900 with highest volume of passengers after Tokyo. In contrast, Tokyo had the highest number of passengers which were 1927 million per year and it was at third number. Washington DC had built its underground station in 1976. However, Kyoto had the smallest underground railway systems which covers only 11km distance while number of passengers also least with 45 million per year. In the end, Los Angeles found its station in 2001 with 28km route and 50 million people travel per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the data, including the oldest and newest systems, as well as the extremes in route length and passenger numbers. The overview is clear and highlights the main trends effectively. However, the report could be improved by grouping the data more logically rather than listing cities chronologically. For instance, comparing the older, larger systems (London, Paris, Tokyo) against the newer, smaller ones (Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles) would provide a more analytical approach. The data is generally accurate, though the phrasing 'at third number' is slightly awkward. Overall, the response successfully addresses the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', and 'In the end' are used to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data analysis. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated. The flow is sufficient to follow the writer's argument without difficulty, meeting the requirements for a solid mid-range score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the data clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific language like 'underground railway systems', 'route', and 'volume of passengers'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'found its station' instead of 'opened its system' and 'smallest underground railway systems' (should be singular). To reach a higher band, the writer should incorporate more varied synonyms and precise collocations related to statistical reporting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'as compare to' (should be 'compared to'), '775 millions passengers' (should be 'million'), and 'which covers' (should be 'covered' to maintain tense consistency). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor errors in article usage and pluralization. The errors do not impede communication, but they do prevent the response from reaching a higher band, as the control over complex structures is not yet consistent.

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

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