Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-01

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 given table compares the opening date, length of the route and the number of passengers traveling per year of the underground railway systems present in six cities.

Overall, Tokyo accounted for the largest number of passengers traveling per year. However, the railway of London had the longest route and was the earliest railway track among the others, yet, Paris recorded a significantly higher number of visitors, with Tokyo being the only exception. The shortest track was constructed in Kyoto, whereas Los Angeles followed the same trend instead of building those lengthy routes which were preferred in the early twentieth century.

Furthermore, Paris had a route of 199 kilometers, while Tokyo and Washington DC had a comparatively shorter path of 155 and 126 kilometers, respectively. 775 millions of passengers were assisted by London, while Paris and Tokyo accounted for the top two cities having the highest number of passengers in an year. In addition, Kyoto and Los Angeles served only 45 and 50 millions of passengers per year. Moreover, Los Angeles was the only railway system opened in twentieth-one century. The remaining five systems were in operation during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Passengers were often expected to travel from the railway systems of Paris and Tokyo, however Kyoto and Los Angeles assisted the passengers who travelled short distances.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the key features of the data, such as the oldest and longest system (London) and the busiest system (Tokyo). You also made relevant comparisons between the cities. However, the report contains some factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, you stated that Paris recorded a higher number of passengers than Tokyo, but the table shows Tokyo (1927 million) is significantly higher than Paris (1191 million). Additionally, the claim that Kyoto and Los Angeles assisted passengers who travelled short distances is an assumption not supported by the provided data. To improve, ensure that your summary strictly reflects the figures provided without adding external interpretations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In addition', and 'However' to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data analysis. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by minor referencing issues, such as the phrase 'followed the same trend' which is slightly vague in this context. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the structure supports the reader's understanding of the information presented in the table.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accounted for', 'comparatively', and 'in operation'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'twentieth-one century' (should be 'twenty-first century') and '775 millions of passengers' (should be '775 million passengers'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and comparative structures would enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'the railway of London' (should be 'London's railway'), 'in an year' (should be 'in a year'), and the aforementioned 'twentieth-one century'. Punctuation is generally handled well, though some sentences are slightly clunky. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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