Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-06

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 in six cities.

Overall, it is evident that Tokyo had the highest number of passengers, while Paris registered as the second largest among the cities, and Kyoto had a smaller number of travellers per year.

Regarding the cities, Tokyo railway systems opened in 1972, which travelled 155 km of route and had 1927 million passengers. Meanwhile, Paris was considered the second largest and opened in 1900, with 199 km of route and carried a total of 1191 million people, whereas London was inaugurated in 1863 with 394 km of route and 775 million individuals.

Turning to the other cities, the Washington DC railway system started in 1976 with 126 km of route, followed by 144 million people. Furthermore, Los Angeles opened in 2001 with 28 km of route and 50 million per year. Finally, Koyto in 1981 with 28 km of route and had a smaller number of only 45 million commuters per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by reporting on the six cities and comparing the data. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies regarding the data provided in the table. For instance, you stated Tokyo opened in 1972, while the table clearly shows 1927. Similarly, you listed Kyoto's route as 28 km instead of 11 km. These errors negatively impact the accuracy of the report. While you successfully identified the main features, such as Tokyo having the highest passenger numbers and London having the longest route, the failure to accurately transcribe the data from the table prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Regarding', 'Meanwhile', 'Turning to', and 'Finally' to guide the reader through the information. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally confusing, particularly in the final paragraph where you mention 'Koyto' (a spelling error) and repeat the '28 km' figure incorrectly. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the overall flow could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect the comparisons between cities more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'inaugurated', 'commuters', and 'registered'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'Koyto' instead of 'Kyoto' and the awkward phrasing 'registered as the second largest among the cities' when referring to passenger numbers. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations when describing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'Tokyo railway systems opened in 1972, which travelled 155 km' is grammatically awkward; the system itself does not travel. Another error is 'Kyoto in 1981 with 28 km of route and had a smaller number', which lacks a main verb for the subject. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of these grammatical slips limits the score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures would help improve this score.

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