Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-05

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 illustrates about the underground railways system in six distinct cities in London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles.

Overall, Tokyo recorded the highest passengers per year while Kyoto experienced the less passengers per year over the period. Moreover, London accumulated the highest kilometers of route whereas Kyoto enperienced the less kilometers of route.

In 1863, London experienced 394 kilometers of route and 775 millions of passenger per year, in 1990 Paris recorded the highest route at 199 kilometers and 1191 millions passengers, and Tokyo accumulated to 155 kilometers and experienced the highest passengers per year at 1927 millions in 1927.

On the other hand, Washington Dc, Kyoto, and Los Angeles accounted for 126 kilometers in 1976, 11 kilometers in 1981, and 28 kilometer 2001, respectively. Moreover, Washington accumulated to 144 million passengers per year, Kyoto has the less paxsengers for 45 millions, and Los Angeles at 50 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview of the table and reporting the main features, such as identifying Tokyo and Kyoto at the extremes of passenger numbers and route lengths. However, the development is uneven. While the overview outlines key highlights, the body paragraphs slip into listing specific data points chronologically or confusingly—such as stating that London 'experienced' 394 kilometers of route in 1863—rather than making clear, integrated comparisons across the cities. Some ideas are more fully developed than others, which prevents the response from reaching a higher level of task fulfillment. To improve, ensure that data is selected to support clear comparative trends rather than isolated figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible introduction and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used to separate the overview from the specific data points. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty, relying heavily on basic transition phrases like 'Moreover' and 'On the other hand' to link sentences. Referencing and progression are occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as grouping disparate metrics together without clear logical transitions between cities and their specific opening years, route lengths, and passenger volumes. To achieve a stronger flow, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that the progression of ideas moves smoothly from general trends to specific supporting details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to urban transport such as 'underground railways system', 'kilometers of route', and 'passengers per year'. However, there are notable lexical shortcomings, including awkward word choices ('experienced the less passengers' instead of 'fewest passengers', and the misspelling 'enperienced'), and incorrect word forms ('paxsengers'). Less common vocabulary is attempted with occasional inaccuracies that stem from imprecise collocation and word choice. While communication is not severely impeded, these vocabulary errors limit the precision of the report. To progress, the student must focus on accurate word forms, correct superlative forms, and precise collocations when describing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting to connect multiple variables within sentences. However, there are noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. Examples include preposition and pattern errors like 'illustrates about the underground railways system' (unnecessary preposition), awkward verb tenses applied to static data (e.g., 'London experienced 394 kilometers'), and pluralisation errors ('millions of passenger', '28 kilometer'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede overall communication, and the meaning generally remains clear. To reach a higher standard, the writer needs to exercise better control over verb tenses, article usage, and prepositions when reporting numerical data.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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