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 given table reveals the data about Underground Railroad track of six different cities. The data has been calibrated in numbers.

Overall, all the cities listed according to the date when they opened first in which London has the most ancient railway system and Los Angeles opened its first underground railway recently among others.

Firstly, Tokyo has highest number of passenger annually recorded 1927 million followed by Paris up to 1191 million. Secondly, Kyoto and Los Angeles has the least numbers of people who used to travel by train, 45 and 50 respectively. London attracted 775 million passenger per year and ranked as third highest used railway system.

Whereas, the most recently opened railway Los Angeles covered 28 km of route almost double the kilometre covered by Kyoto railway. The underground railway system of the London has spread more to 394 km which is one the largest operating system among others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the table, such as the oldest and newest systems and the highest passenger numbers. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical comparison between the variables. For instance, while you mention the route length and passenger numbers, you do not explicitly highlight the interesting contrast between Tokyo (highest passengers, relatively short route) and London (longest route, fewer passengers). To reach a higher band, ensure you group data more logically and provide a more comprehensive overview that synthesises the information rather than just listing facts city by city. The inclusion of all six cities is good, but the analysis of the relationship between route length and passenger volume could be more developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is generally coherent, and the paragraphing is logical, moving from an overview to specific details. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Whereas' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'London attracted 775 million passenger per year and ranked as third highest used railway system', where the comparison could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'calibrated', 'annually', and 'operating system'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'Underground Railroad track' is not the standard term for a city subway system, and 'most ancient' is slightly unnatural in this context; 'oldest' would be more appropriate. Additionally, there are minor errors such as 'highest number of passenger' (should be plural 'passengers') and 'the kilometre covered' (should be 'kilometers'). Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise reporting verbs and comparative adjectives would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips. For instance, 'all the cities listed according to the date when they opened first' is awkward, and 'Kyoto and Los Angeles has' should be 'have' to agree with the plural subject. There are also issues with articles, such as 'the London' and 'the kilometre'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve your grammatical accuracy.

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

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