Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The table below illustrates the underground railway systems across six cities including the opening date, kilometers of route, and the passengers per year estimated in millions.

Overall, Tokyo leads the highest count of passengers per year, followed by Paris and London. Subsequently, Washington D.C also has modest figure. Los Angeles and Kyoto belongs to the lowest accumulated passenger per year compared to four other cities.

Tokyo with the route of 155km has reached 1927 million passengers recorded per year; whereas, Paris reached 1191 million showing substantial figure and London's oldest railway system built in 1863 has the value of 775 million passengers per year given the distance of 394km.

Furthermore, Washington D.C recorded 144 million, showing huge gap difference with the figure from the first three. Ultimately, it is evident that Los Angeles and Kyoto have shown steady low figure noting that the kilometer per route is just short in contrast to the other four cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task by reporting on the three categories provided in the table. You have successfully identified the main features, such as Tokyo's high passenger volume and the older age of the London system. However, the comparison could be more analytical. For instance, while you mention the 'huge gap' between Washington D.C. and the top three, you could have more explicitly contrasted the relationship between route length and passenger numbers across the different cities to provide a deeper analysis. The overview is clear and sets the tone for the report effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Subsequently', 'whereas', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced, such as 'Ultimately, it is evident that'. Additionally, the referencing in the second paragraph is slightly repetitive. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of information from the most significant data to the least significant is logical and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accumulated', 'substantial', and 'evident'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'leads the highest count' (should be 'has the highest count') and 'modest figure' (which is slightly vague). You also use 'short' to describe the route length, which is not the most precise term in this context. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of 'whereas' to contrast data. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'Los Angeles and Kyoto belongs to' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'the kilometer per route is just short' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, though the use of semicolons and commas could be more precise. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more natural phrasing will improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.