Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-03

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 illustrates brief picture of underground railway systems in six different cities including the number of passengers(in millions), distance in kilometers, and the year when the system had begun in the respective city.

Overall, there is a significant difference in the years, distances and in number of travelers. London owns the longest railway line, conversely, Kyoto is the shortest. Tokyo commutes the highest amount of population compared to all others.

The discovery of underground system dated back to 1863 in London extending to 394 kilometers and helping 775 million people to travel per year. Paris, constructed in 1900 with 199 km length commuting 1191 million passengers each year, followed by Tokyo with 155 km route, begun in 1927 offering1927 million people to travel per year.

Washington DC started in 1976 with 126 km route and 144 million population. The shortest railway route and the least people travelled is Kyoto dated in 1981. Los Angeles is the most recent construction about 28 kms attracting about 50 million citizens.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully identifies the main features of the data, such as the oldest and newest systems, and the extremes in terms of route length and passenger numbers. You have provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data from the table. However, the report could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the cities rather than listing the data for each one sequentially. For example, comparing the high passenger volume of Tokyo relative to its smaller route length compared to London would have added more analytical depth. Overall, the task is addressed well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'conversely' and 'followed by', which help link the information. However, the transition between the description of the older systems and the newer ones could be smoother. Some sentences feel slightly mechanical in their structure, and the use of referencing could be more varied to improve the flow between sentences. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the information is presented in a coherent manner.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'significant difference', and 'commutes'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'discovery of underground system' (which should be 'opening' or 'inception') and 'commutes the highest amount of population' (which is slightly unnatural; 'handles the highest number of passengers' would be better). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'The table illustrates brief picture' (missing an article) and 'dated in 1981' (should be 'opened in 1981'). Additionally, 'offering 1927 million people to travel' is awkward phrasing. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on article usage and ensuring that your verb choices align correctly with the subjects in your sentences.

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

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