Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-26

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 7.0)

The given table provides data about the underground railway systems in six cities including London, Paris, Tokyo, Washtington DC, Kyoto and Los Angeles.

Overall, the oldest and the largest railway system is located in London, while Los Angeles and Kyoto contain the shortest and the newest train systems. However, the railway system of Tokyo accounts for the largest share of passengers.

Looking into the table in more detail, the oldest and the longest route for train is present in London, which covers a 394 km distance. Paris ranks second with a 199 km route which was formed in 1900. Then it is followed by Tokyo and Washington DC which contain a 155 km and a 126 km railway route, opened in 1927 and 1976 respectively. Furthermore, the most recent train system is situated in Kyoto and Los Angeles that were inaugurated in 1981 and 2001 respectively. Additionally, they are the shortest tracks of trains among all six cities.

In terms of passengers, Tokyo observed the highest number of passengers of about 1927 million, while Paris ranked second with 1191 million, followed by London and Washington DC with 775 million and 144 million respectively. Conversely, Kyoto and Los Angeles reported the least number of passengers, with 45 million and 50 million respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student covers all parts of the task well by presenting an overview and reporting the main features with relevant comparisons. Key data points such as opening dates, route lengths, and passenger numbers are accurately cited from the table. For instance, the writer correctly identifies London as having the oldest and longest system with 394 km, and Tokyo as having the highest passenger volume with 1927 million. The overview is clear and effectively captures the main trends. The response meets all the requirements of an Academic Task 1 summary, demonstrating a well-developed approach to data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is logically organised with a clear overall progression. It begins with a helpful introductory paraphrase and a clear overview paragraph, followed by detailed body paragraphs that separate route statistics from passenger statistics. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Additionally', 'In terms of', and 'Conversely' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively, grouping related information together. Referencing is clear throughout, making the relationships between cities, dates, and figures easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to a data-reporting task, using terms like 'inaugurated', 'account for', 'route', and 'passenger volume'. There is a minor spelling slip ('Washtington DC' instead of 'Washington DC'), but general vocabulary use is precise enough to convey the statistical comparisons effectively. Less common items are attempted with reasonable success, such as 'longest route for train' and 'highest share of passengers', contributing to a smooth delivery of the information without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, incorporating relative clauses ('which covers a 394 km distance') and participial phrases ('opened in 1927 and 1976 respectively'). Grammatical control is generally good, with frequent error-free sentences. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'the shortest tracks of trains among all six cities' where phrasing could be tighter, but these errors do not impede communication. Punctuation is handled well throughout the text.

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