Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-24

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 illustrates the information about underground railway systems in London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles. Units are measured in percentages and kilometres.

Overall, it is clear that Tokyo has the highest number of passengers per year, while Kyoto has the lowest number in the figure. London is the oldest underground railway system in the figure where Los Angeles is the newest one.

To begin with, London underground railway system was opened in 1863, and also boasts the longest route network at 394 Kilometres. Paris and Tokyo opened considerably later in 1900 and 1927 respectively, with route length of 199 and 155 kilometres. Washington Dc, by contrast, opened in 1976 with 126 kilometres of route. Kyoto and Los Angeles opened in 1981 and 2001 with route length of 11 and 28 kilometres, which is both the lowest in the figure.

On the other hand, Tokyo underground railway system was by far the busiest, carrying 1927 million passengers annually despite having a considerably smaller network than London. Paris also carried more passengers than London, at 1191 million, compared to London's 775 million per year. Washington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles carried fewer passengers ranging from 45 to 144 million per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the underground railway systems across the six cities. In your overview, you rightly highlighted the extremes, such as Tokyo having the highest passenger numbers and London being the oldest system. You made effective comparisons regarding route lengths, opening dates, and passenger volumes throughout the body paragraphs. However, there is a minor data error in your introduction where you state that 'units are measured in percentages and kilometres'—in fact, the table uses years, kilometres, and millions of people, not percentages. Despite this slight oversight in defining the units, the actual reporting of the data and comparisons are well-selected and fully address the requirements of an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is clearly structured with a logical organization and progression throughout. You made good use of paragraphing, separating the introduction, the overall summary, the chronological details of dates and route lengths, and finally the passenger volume comparisons. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'by contrast', and 'On the other hand' are employed to guide the reader smoothly between ideas. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraph transitions could be slightly more seamless. Overall, the essay flows well and ensures that the information is easy to follow, fitting comfortably within the Band 7 descriptors for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate and appropriate for the task, allowing you to convey precise comparisons. You successfully used less common lexical items and collocations such as 'railway system', 'busiest', 'route length', and 'annually'. However, there is a slight inaccuracy in your introduction where you state units are measured in 'percentages', which represents a minor slip in word choice. Aside from this, your range of vocabulary is sufficient for flexibility and precision, successfully avoiding excessive repetition of phrases and appropriately discussing numerical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You have demonstrated good control of grammar and punctuation, utilising a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Sentences such as 'Paris and Tokyo opened considerably later in 1900 and 1927 respectively, with route length of 199 and 155 kilometres' and 'Tokyo underground railway system was by far the busiest, carrying 1927 million passengers annually despite having a considerably smaller network than London' show a good command of subordination and modification. Grammatical accuracy is high with frequent error-free sentences, though a minor preposition or article slip can occasionally be observed (e.g., 'Washington Dc' missing proper capitalisation). Overall, your control over complex structures aligns well with a Band 7 score.

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