Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-05

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 the underground railway systems data of six different cities-London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles.

Overall, according to the table it is evident that London is the oldest underground railway with the longest route, while Tokyo carries most passengers per year.

For London city its underground subway system started in 1863 with 394 kilometers of lengthy route and the London railway carries 775 million passengers every year. The Paris railway system carries 1191 million passengers each year and the railway system was started in 1900 with 199 kilometers of long railway track.

Tokyo's underground railway system transports 1927 million passengers every year compared to other big cities; however, it has only 155 kilometers long railway track and Tokyo's railway system was began in 1927. To conclude, the Kyoto has the least route only 11 kilometers and carries about 45 million passengers every year and the system was began in 1981.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all the requirements of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You have successfully selected the key data points, such as the oldest system (London) and the highest passenger volume (Tokyo). However, the report is somewhat descriptive and lacks a more analytical approach to the comparisons. For instance, while you mention the figures for each city, you could have grouped them more effectively to highlight the contrast between older, larger systems and newer, smaller ones. The overview is clear, but the report would benefit from a more integrated comparison rather than listing the data city by city.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'however' and 'to conclude' to link ideas. However, the progression between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, relying heavily on repeating the structure 'the [city] system...'. To improve, try using more varied referencing (e.g., 'the former', 'the latter', 'this figure') to avoid repetitive phrasing. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the information flows in a way that is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a coherent response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information accurately, such as 'illustrates', 'evident', and 'transports'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'lengthy route' (which is slightly unnatural in this context) and 'the system was began' (which is a grammatical error affecting lexical accuracy). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to data reporting, such as 'commenced operations', 'annual passenger throughput', or 'extensive network'. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'the system was began' is incorrect passive voice (should be 'was begun' or 'began'), and 'For London city its underground...' lacks proper punctuation. Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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