Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20

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 7.0)

The table compares six underground railway station in term of thr year they were opened and length of route and the number of passengers they carry.

Overall, London has the oldest railway system while los angles has the newest system. tokyohas the highest numbers of passengers that they carry and kyoto has the shortest route.

London’s underground, opened in 1863, has the longest route at 394 km, almost twice the length of Paris’s 199 km system. However, despite its size, it carries 775 million passengers annually, fewer than Paris (1,191 million) and Tokyo (1,927 million). Tokyo’s system, which opened in 1927, is only 155 km long but serves the largest number of passengers.

The three more recently opened systems are much smaller. Washington DC, opened in 1976, has a 126-km network and 144 million passengers per year. Kyoto’s railway, opened in 1981, is the smallest, with only 11 km of track and 45 million passengers. Finally, Los Angeles, the newest system, opened in 2001 and has 28 km of route, carrying 50 million passengers annually.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task. You have identified the main features, such as the oldest and newest systems, and made relevant comparisons between the cities. The data is accurately reported, and the overview provides a clear summary of the trends. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently use precise terminology; for example, referring to 'underground railway systems' rather than 'railway station' in the introduction would improve accuracy. Overall, the information is well-selected and supports the summary effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You have used paragraphing effectively to separate the overview from the detailed analysis, and the grouping of the older and newer systems is a logical approach. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'despite its size', and 'Finally' are used appropriately to guide the reader. The flow is smooth, and the relationship between the different cities is clearly established through comparison. The structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly. Phrases like 'serves the largest number of passengers' and 'network' are used correctly. There are some minor errors, such as 'railway station' instead of 'railway system' and 'tokyohas' (a spacing error). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more varied synonyms for 'opened' (e.g., 'commenced operations') or 'size' (e.g., 'extent' or 'scale') would demonstrate a more sophisticated lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and grammar is generally good. There are a few minor slips, such as 'los angles' (capitalization) and 'tokyohas' (spacing), which are likely typographical errors. The use of comparative structures like 'almost twice the length of' is accurate and adds complexity to the writing. The grammar does not impede communication at any point.

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

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