Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-25

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 gives information about the underground railway systems for different cities around the world including the inauguration year, kilometers of route and quantity of passengers per year in millions.

While the Tokyo underground railway system attracted the most passengers, Kyoto attracted the least. The Tokyo underground railway system opened in 1927 and has a route of 155 kilometers. 1927 million of passengers use this system every year. On the other hand, the Kyoto underground railway system has 11 kilometers of route, the least amongst the six cities mentioned in the table, which opened in 1981 and attracts 45 million of passengers per year.

The London underground railway system was the first of its kind, being opened in 1863 and comprises of 394 kilometers of route and 775 million of passengers use this system every year. Whereas, Paris underground railway system which was installed later in 1900 has a route of 199 kilometers, less than that of London but attracts more passengers. 1191 million of passengers use this system every year.

Washington DC introduced it's underground railway system in 1976 followed by Los Angeles in 2001. Washington has 126 kilometers of railway route and 144 million of passenger use it every year. Alternatively, Los Angeles underground railway system attracts 50 million of passengers per year as it has a shorter route compared to Washington, only 28 kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You have successfully identified the key features, such as the oldest and newest systems, and the extremes in terms of passenger numbers and route length. The comparisons between cities like London and Paris, and Washington and Los Angeles, are relevant and well-supported by the data. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview is more distinct; currently, it is integrated into the introduction. A separate paragraph or a clear summary sentence highlighting the most significant trends (e.g., the inverse relationship between age and passenger volume in some cases) would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific grouping of cities. The progression of ideas is clear, and you use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'while', 'on the other hand', 'whereas', and 'alternatively' to link your points. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for instance, 'it's' (it is) in the final paragraph is a minor error that slightly disrupts the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'inauguration', 'comprises', and 'attracted'. However, there is some repetition of phrases such as 'million of passengers' and 'kilometers of route'. The phrasing '1927 million of passengers' is slightly unnatural; it would be more accurate to say '1927 million passengers'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly, incorporating more varied synonyms for 'opened' (e.g., 'commenced operations', 'launched') and 'attracts' (e.g., 'handles', 'accommodates') would elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as '1927 million of passengers' (should be '1927 million passengers') and 'it's' instead of 'its'. Additionally, 'being opened' is slightly awkward; 'which opened' would be more natural. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the majority of your sentences are clear. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of possessive pronouns, as these are recurring minor issues.

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

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