Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The table illustrates the underground railway systems in six cities. Overall, the underground railway system in London is the oldest and longest railway among the six cities, but the railway system in Tokyo carries the highest number of passengers per year, and the Kyoto railway system carries the lowest number of passengers per year.

The underground railway system in London was opened in 1863, and it has 394 kilometers of route that carries 775 million passengers per year. Although it is the oldest and longest railway system, it does not carry the highest amount of passengers. Paris and Tokyo are two of the six cities that carry the highest amount of passengers. The Tokyo railway system, being opened in 1927 with 155 kilometers of route, carries 1927 million passengers per year, and the Paris railway, which was opened in 1900, has 199 kilometers of route and carries 1191 million passengers per year. Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles carry the least amount of passengers among the six cities. Washington DC underground railway system was opened in 1976, has a route of 126 kilometers, but carries only 144 million passengers per year. The underground railway system in Los Angeles and Kyoto carries the lowest number of passengers per year. Kyoto's railway system was opened in 1981 and has a route of 11 kilometers. On the other hand, Los Angeles' railway system was opened in 2001, and it has 28 kilometers of route. Kyoto carries 45 million passengers per year, and Los Angeles carries slightly higher passengers, which is 50 million every year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all key features of the data, including the oldest/longest system (London) and the highest/lowest passenger numbers (Tokyo/Kyoto). 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 in a sequence. For instance, comparing the older systems (London, Paris, Tokyo) against the newer, smaller ones (Washington, Kyoto, LA) would provide a more analytical approach. The data is accurate, and the comparisons made are relevant to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different groups of cities. Cohesive devices such as 'although', 'on the other hand', and 'which' are used to link ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of information is generally smooth, and the reader can easily follow the comparisons being made between the six cities. Referencing is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication of the data. The student uses terms like 'illustrates', 'route', and 'passengers per year' correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, particularly with phrases like 'carries the highest amount of passengers' and 'lowest number of passengers'. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more varied synonyms or collocations related to statistical reporting, such as 'handles', 'accommodates', or 'serves' instead of repeating 'carries'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is generally good control over grammar, and errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. For example, the use of relative clauses ('which was opened in 1900') and contrastive structures ('although it is the oldest...') shows a reasonable command of complex forms. Punctuation is generally accurate, though some sentences could be more concisely structured to improve flow. Overall, the grammatical accuracy is strong enough to support clear expression.

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