Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-28

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 provides information about the underground railway systems across six cities including London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles.

Overall, it is evident that among the six cities London was the first to have a underground railway system, with Los Angeles being the latest. The Tokyo railway system transports the largest number of individuals every year, while London has the longest kilometers of route.

London has the oldest railway station that opened in 1863, followed by Paris and Tokyo in the early 1900's, Washington DC and Kyoto in the late 1900's and Kyoto in 2001. The Kyoto underground railway covers a very short route of just 11 kilometers, compared to London where the routes extends to 394 kilometers.

The railway systems at Paris, Tokyo and Washington also cover a moderate number of kilometers. Despite not covering a longer route, the underground railway system in Tokyo is used by 1927 million passengers annually, compared to just 45 million passengers in Kyoto.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully identifies the main features and makes relevant comparisons. You have highlighted the oldest and newest systems, the longest and shortest routes, and the highest passenger volume. However, there is a factual error in the third paragraph where you mention 'Kyoto in 2001' instead of Los Angeles, and you repeat 'Kyoto' twice in that list. While the key features are covered, the analysis could be more detailed by grouping the cities more effectively based on their data trends rather than just listing them. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'while', 'followed by', and 'compared to' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the chronological data from the route and passenger comparisons. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, although the repetition of 'Kyoto' in the third paragraph slightly disrupts the flow. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'transports', 'annually', 'moderate', and 'underground railway system'. There is some repetition of basic words, and the phrasing 'longest kilometers of route' is slightly unnatural; 'greatest route length' would be more precise. You successfully use comparative language to contrast the data between cities. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or varied lexical choices that would push the score into the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'a underground' (should be 'an underground') and the punctuation error '1900's' (apostrophes are generally not needed for decades). The sentence 'London has the oldest railway station that opened in 1863' is accurate, but the list that follows is slightly clunky due to the factual error mentioned earlier. Most sentences are clear and error-free, and your control of grammar is generally good, rarely impeding communication.

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

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