Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The following table illustrates the information regarding the underground railway systems in six different cities.
Overall, the underground railway system of London was the first to be opened along with the longest route.while the underground railway system of Tokyo carries the most passengers per year.
Looking at the table in more detail, the first underground railway system was constructed in London in 1863. It consists of 394 kilometers of route and carries 775 million passangers per year, compated to the underground railway system of Paris which was built in 1900, covers 199 kilometers and transport 1191 million passengers annually. Similarly, Tokyo's underground railway system was constructed in 1927. It covers a distance of 155 kilometers and carries 1927 million people yearly.
As for underground railway system of Washington DC which was constructed in 1976, it consists of 126 kilometer of route and carries 144 million individuals per year. Subsequently, Kyoto's underground railway system was established in 1981. It covers only 11 kilometers and carries 45 million passengers annually. Regarding the underground railway system of Los Angeles, it was constructed in 2001. It carries 50 million people yearly and covers 28 kilometers in distance.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response successfully covers all the main features of the table, including the date opened, kilometers of route, and passengers per year for all six cities. The student makes relevant comparisons, such as noting that London has the longest route while Tokyo carries the most passengers per year. The overview is clear and sets up the key trends well. The information is accurately reported from the table without significant misinterpretations, fulfilling the requirements for an Academic Task 1 response. The response meets all the criteria for a Band 7 level in Task Achievement by presenting a clear overview and highlighting key features effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, provides a summary in the overview paragraph, and then groups the detailed body paragraphs logically by chronological order and comparative features. Cohesive devices such as 'Looking at the table in more detail', 'Similarly', and 'Regarding the underground railway system' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data, although there is a minor punctuation error with a full stop instead of a comma in the second paragraph ('longest route.while'). Overall, paragraphing is used appropriately.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe data effectively, using appropriate terms such as 'illustrates', 'annually', 'constructs', and 'distance'. However, there are a few spelling and typographical errors, such as 'passangers' and 'compated', alongside minor word form errors like 'transport' instead of 'transports'. While less common lexical items are attempted, occasional inaccuracies in spelling and word choice keep the lexical score at a Band 6.0 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. There are several minor errors, such as missing articles ('the underground railway system of Washington DC') and incorrect prepositions ('kilometer of route' instead of 'kilometers of route'), but these errors rarely impede communication. The majority of simple sentences are accurate, supporting a solid Band 6.0 score.
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.