Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-07

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 provide information about six underground railway systems in differnet countries including the year they were opened the length of their routes and the number of passengers they carry annually.

Overall, London has the oldest and longest underground railway system, while Tokyo has the highest number of passengers. in contrast, Tokyo has the shortest route and the lowest passenger figure. the newer systems generally have shorter route those in london, Paris and Tokyo.

London's underground system was opened in 1863, making it the oldest among the six cities. it has the longest route at 394 kilometers and serves approximately 775 million passenger per year. Paris opened it system in 1900 ,with a route length of 199 kilometer and the highest passenger figure after Tokyo at 1191 million annually.

Tokyo railway system began operating in 1927 and covers 155 kilometer. despite have a shooter route than london and Paris, it carries the largest number of passenger's, at 1927 million per year. Washington DC opened considerably later, in 1976 and has a 126 kilometer route serving 144 million passengers annually.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the table, including the date opened, route length, and passenger numbers. You successfully identified the oldest/longest system (London) and the highest passenger volume (Tokyo). However, there is a factual error in your summary: you stated Tokyo has the shortest route, but the table shows Kyoto has the shortest route (11 km). Additionally, the final two cities (Kyoto and Los Angeles) are omitted from the body paragraphs, which prevents a full analysis of the data. To improve, ensure all data points are accurately reflected and that every city mentioned in the prompt is addressed in your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific cities. Cohesive devices such as 'in contrast,' 'despite,' and 'while' are used to link ideas. However, the progression is slightly hindered by the factual error regarding the shortest route. Furthermore, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the lack of inclusion for Kyoto and Los Angeles in the body paragraphs makes the overall structure feel incomplete.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'annually,' 'operating,' and 'serves.' There are some spelling errors, such as 'differnet' instead of 'different' and 'shooter' instead of 'shorter.' Additionally, there are minor issues with pluralization, such as 'passenger' instead of 'passengers' and 'passenger's' (incorrect apostrophe). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. Focusing on accurate spelling and correct word forms will significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('opened it system'), incorrect verb forms ('despite have a shooter route'), and punctuation issues (missing capitalization at the start of sentences). These errors do not impede communication, but they are persistent throughout the text. To reach a higher band, you should focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent capitalization, and ensuring that complex structures are formed correctly without errors.

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.