Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-02

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 7.5)

The table compares underground railway systems in six cities in terms of their opening dates, route lengths and annual passenger numbers.

Overall, London has the oldest and longest underground system, while Los Angeles has the newest. Tokyo carries the largest number of passengers, whereas Kyoto has the fewest.

London’s railway opened in 1863 and has a route of 394 kilometers, which is almost twice as long as Paris’s 199-kilometre network. However, Paris carries more passengers, with 1,191 million per year compared with London’s 775 million. Tokyo’s system, opened in 1927, has only 155 kilometers of route but serves the highest number of passengers, at 1,927 million annually.

The remaining three systems are much smaller. Washington DC opened in 1976 and has 126 kilometers of track, serving 144 million passengers each year. Kyoto, which began in 1981, has the shortest route at just 11 kilometers and carries 45 million passengers. Los Angeles is the newest system, with 28 kilometers of route and 50 million passengers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all requirements of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main trends, such as identifying the oldest/longest systems versus the newest, and the contrast between route length and passenger volume. The data is accurately selected and reported, with relevant comparisons made between cities like London and Paris. The information is well-organized, and the key features are highlighted without unnecessary detail, which is exactly what is required for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'whereas', 'however', and 'the remaining three' are used naturally to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the older, larger systems from the newer, smaller ones, ensuring a smooth flow of information throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data accurately, including terms like 'network', 'annually', 'route', and 'serves'. The language is precise and appropriate for a formal report. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be elevated further by incorporating more sophisticated collocations or varied synonyms to describe the data points, which would push the score into the highest band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The grammar is highly accurate, with a variety of complex sentence structures used effectively, such as the use of relative clauses ('which is almost twice as long as...') and participial phrases ('opened in 1927'). Punctuation is handled correctly, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The control over sentence structure is consistent, making the report easy to read and professional in tone.

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

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