Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-16

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 7.5)

The above table exhibits the data for underground railway systems in six different cities based on its main features.

Overall, London has the oldest and longest underground railway system, whereas Los Angeles has the newest. Tokyo has the highest number of passengers per year, while Kyoto has both the shortest route and the lowest passenger figure.

London’s underground railway, which opened in 1863, is the oldest system and has the longest route, at 394 kilometres. It carries approximately 775 million passengers annually. Paris opened its system in 1900 and has a 199-kilometre route, serving 1,191 million passengers each year. Tokyo’s railway began operating in 1927 and has a route of 155 kilometres. Despite being shorter than London and Paris, it carries the highest number of passengers, at 1,927 million per year.

The remaining three systems are considerably newer and smaller. Washington DC opened its underground railway in 1976, with 126 kilometres of route and 144 million passengers annually. Kyoto, which began operating in 1981, has by far the shortest route, at only 11 kilometres, and serves 45 million passengers. Finally, Los Angeles has the newest system, opened in 2001, with a 28-kilometre route and 50 million passengers per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have successfully identified the main features, such as London's status as the oldest and longest system, and made relevant comparisons, such as contrasting Tokyo's high passenger volume with its relatively shorter route. The data is accurately reported, and the overview provides a clear summary of the key trends. The information is well-selected and logically grouped, ensuring the reader gets a comprehensive picture of the six cities without unnecessary repetition. No key data points were omitted, and the comparison between the older, established systems and the newer, smaller ones is well-executed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You have used an effective structure: an introduction, a concise overview, and two body paragraphs that group the cities by their characteristics (older/larger vs. newer/smaller). Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'while', 'despite', and 'finally' are used naturally to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories of cities, which helps the reader follow the comparison easily. The flow is smooth, and the referencing is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have demonstrated a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases like 'exhibits the data', 'began operating', and 'serves... passengers' are used accurately. The vocabulary is precise and contributes to the clarity of the report. While the range is sufficient to convey information fluently, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or synonyms for 'new' and 'old' could elevate the score further. However, the current usage is natural and free of errors that would impede communication or cause confusion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the relative clauses in 'London’s underground railway, which opened in 1863, is the oldest system'. Punctuation is accurate, and there are no significant errors in tense or subject-verb agreement. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the few structures used are handled with confidence. The clarity of the writing is excellent, and the grammatical choices support the overall coherence of the report.

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