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 table shows when the underground railway system in six different cities was opened, how long there route is and the number of passengers that travel per year.

From the table, it can be seen that the London has the oldest underground railway system with the longest route. Subway system of the Tokyo has highest number of passengers, whereas the Kyoto has the least with the shortest route as well.

The Subway in London was opened in the year 1863. The route was 394 kilometers long. Almost 775 Million people travelled in London Subway. The Paris rapid transit system was established in 1900 having 199 kilometers long route, where 1191 million people travelled. In comparison to both the cities, maximum number of passengers were facilitated in Tokyo Metro, which was opened in 1927. 1927 million passengers journeyed over 155 kilometer long distance.

In contrast to the Tokyo underground railway, the Kyoto subway accommodated only 45 million passengers over the year on 11 kilometer route. It was opened in 1981. Los Angeles system which was opened in 2001, was bit higher than the Kyoto in terms of passengers where 5 million more passengers travelled over the year on 28 kilometer long track. At last the Washington DC Rapid transit was commenced in 1976, where 144 million people journeyed on 126 kilometer route.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data and made relevant comparisons. You covered all six cities and included all three data points (date, route length, and passenger numbers). However, the overview is slightly weak; while you mention the oldest and busiest systems, a more comprehensive summary would highlight the general trend that older systems do not necessarily have the highest passenger numbers. The data is presented accurately, though the comparison between Los Angeles and Kyoto could be more clearly articulated to show the relationship between the two.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction followed by body paragraphs that group the data effectively. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'whereas', 'in comparison to', and 'in contrast to', which help the flow. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved by grouping the cities more strategically (e.g., grouping the older, larger systems versus the newer, smaller ones) rather than listing them city by city, which can feel repetitive.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'facilitated', 'established', and 'commenced'. There are some minor errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'Subway system of the Tokyo' (should be 'Tokyo's subway system') and 'was bit higher' (should be 'was slightly higher'). While you successfully convey the information, the vocabulary is functional rather than sophisticated. To reach a higher band, try to vary your verbs and nouns to avoid repeating 'system' and 'route' too frequently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('the London', 'the Tokyo') and minor punctuation issues. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as '1927 million passengers journeyed over 155 kilometer long distance'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and ensuring consistent subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.

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

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