Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-19

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 illustrates about the data of underground railway systems in six different cities.

Overall, in underground railway systems London had crossed the long route . Whereas Tokyo city passengers used Underground Railway Systems in larger amount. In Kyoto recorded the smallest route passed and less passengers used per year.

In detail, London Underground Railway Systems was opened in 1863, while it crossed the long route with 394 kilometers. While citizens used Underground Railway Systems 775 millions per year.

In Paris, the Underground Railway Systems was opened in 1900. However, it crossed 199 kilometers and passengers used rate significantly increased with 1191 millions.

In Tokyo, the Underground Railway Systems was opened in 1927. Whereas it had crossed the path 155 kilometers , but it touched the highest passengers were interested to used with 1927 millions per year.

In Washington DC , the Underground Railway Systems was opened in 1976. While it crossed the route 126 kilometers. Moreover, it dropped to 144 millions passengers used per year.

In Kyoto, the Underground Railway Systems was opened 1981. While it recorded the less route used with 11 kilometers and the passengers used rate also reduced to 45 millions per year.

In Los Angeles, the Underground Railway Systems was opened in 2001. While it showed the small route passed with 28 kilometers, But it slightly climbed to 50 millions used passengers in per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all the data points provided in the table and identifies the main features, such as London having the longest route and Tokyo having the highest passenger volume. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, as it lists the data for each city sequentially rather than grouping them effectively to highlight comparisons. While the overview is present, it lacks a clear synthesis of the data. The information is accurate, but the report would benefit from more sophisticated grouping of cities (e.g., older vs. newer systems) to better demonstrate the ability to select and report main features.

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 often repetitive and sometimes misused. For example, the word 'While' is used at the start of almost every sentence in the body paragraphs, which makes the flow feel mechanical and unnatural. The progression of ideas is logical, but the lack of variety in linking words limits the coherence. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure relies too heavily on a rigid, repetitive pattern rather than a fluid, cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There is frequent repetition of phrases like 'Underground Railway Systems' and 'passengers used per year'. Some word choices are awkward or non-standard, such as 'crossed the long route' or 'passengers used rate'. There is little attempt to use less common vocabulary or varied collocations. To improve, the student should focus on using synonyms and more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'network length', 'annual ridership', or 'commenced operations'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect preposition usage ('used in larger amount'), awkward phrasing ('passengers used rate significantly increased'), and errors in tense or word order ('In Kyoto recorded the smallest route'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary commas and capitalization issues. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

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