Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-21

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 7.5)

The table compares six metro systems across the world in terms of their opening date, total route length, and annual passenger numbers.

Overall, it is clear that the older metro systems are considerably larger and carry far more passengers than the newer ones. In addition, Tokyo has the highest number of passengers despite having a relatively modest network, while London has the longest route.

London opened first in 1863 with the most extensive network at 394 kilometres, carrying 775 million passengers per year. Paris, the second oldest system opened in 1900, has a 199-kilometre route but serves a larger number of passengers at 1,191 million.

Tokyo, which opened in 1927, has a shorter route of 155 kilometres, yet it transports by far the most passengers at 1,927 million annually, almost double that of Paris. In contrast, the three more recent systems are significantly smaller and less used.

Washington DC, opened in 1976, has a 126-kilometre network with 144 million users, while Kyoto, opened in 1981, has the shortest route at only 11 kilometres and the lowest ridership at 45 million. Los Angeles, the newest system from 2001, is slightly larger at 28 kilometres and carries 50 million passengers per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by presenting a clear overview of the data and selecting the key features from the table. The response effectively compares the six underground railway systems, highlighting notable contrasts such as Tokyo's exceptionally high passenger volume despite having a shorter route compared to London. Data points are accurately reported and woven into well-supported arguments throughout the paragraphs. The general trends, including the observation that older networks tend to have larger routes and passenger numbers, are clearly articulated. There are no missing requirements, and the information is entirely derived from the prompt, demonstrating a strong command of the academic task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a clear and logical progression of ideas. It is organized into coherent paragraphs, beginning with a broad introduction, moving to an overall summary of trends, detailing the oldest and busiest systems, and finishing with the more recent and smaller systems. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In addition', 'In contrast', and 'while' are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct groupings of cities based on their operational history. Referencing and substitution are well-managed, ensuring that the relationships between the data points remain transparent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student uses a wide and flexible vocabulary range suited to an academic report. Phrases such as 'considerably larger', 'most extensive network', and 'relatively modest network' display a strong command of lexical items and collocations. Uncommon vocabulary like 'ridership', 'transports', and 'annual passenger numbers' is integrated accurately. Word choice and phrasing are precise, contributing to a natural and sophisticated tone. While the vocabulary is not excessively grandiose, it is entirely appropriate and handled with a high degree of control, featuring only minor or natural word combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writer employs a wide range of complex sentence structures with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, utilizing participial phrases ('opening date, total route length') and subordinate clauses effectively to integrate multiple data points smoothly ('Tokyo, which opened in 1927, has a shorter route...'). Punctuation is handled correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable slips that impede communication or cause confusion for the reader. The control over verb tenses, particularly when referring to past opening dates alongside current operational statistics, is precise and consistent.

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