Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-24
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 tabular data illustrates that how subways system worked in six different states (London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles).
Overall, London had logest railway route compareted to others, while Kyoto had shortest route. A significant number of individuals traveled in Tokyo, Whereas Kyoto had less number of passengers.
In detail, London underground railway system opened in 1863 and it had longest route of 394 KM and per year 775 million people traveled through this. Paris have 2nd longest way of 199 KM and also 2nd most traveled passengers at 1191 millions travellers. Addition, Tokoyo underground subway opened in 1927 and it had highest passengers per year at 1927 millions.
However, Kyoto had the lowest number of traveller and shortest route compared to other cities at 11 KM and only 45 million individuals per year. Los Angeles had 2nd lowest passanger, moreover 2nd shortest path of the railway. Washington DC underground railway estamblish in 1976, and it have 126 Km
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all the required data points and identifies key features, such as the oldest system (London) and the highest passenger volume (Tokyo). However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the 'longest' and 'shortest' routes, you do not consistently compare the cities effectively. For instance, the data for Washington DC is incomplete, as you mention the year and route length but omit the passenger numbers entirely. To reach a higher band, ensure all data points are integrated into your comparisons rather than just listing them. The overview is present but could be more analytical by highlighting the contrast between the older, larger systems and the newer, smaller ones.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In detail', and 'However' to signal shifts in focus. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Addition, Tokoyo...' and 'moreover 2nd shortest path'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for an academic report, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs needs more variety and precision to move beyond a Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the main points. You use some topic-specific terms like 'railway route', 'passengers', and 'tabular data'. However, there are several spelling errors ('logest', 'compareted', 'Tokoyo', 'estamblish', 'passanger') and word choice issues ('states' instead of 'cities', 'way' instead of 'route'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on accurate spelling and using more precise collocations, such as 'annual passenger volume' rather than 'passengers per year'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses ('system worked', 'London underground... opened', 'Washington DC... estamblish') and subject-verb agreement ('Paris have', 'it have'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing articles and capitalization errors. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent tense usage and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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