Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-13

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 illustrate the total passengers of a year and total rail route length with opening year of a underground railway in six different countries.

Overall, London had the oldest railway system with the highest railway length among all six countries, while Los Angeles recorded as the most recent one. Furthermore, Kyoto had lower passengers with a low rail route distance, whereas Tokyo experienced the highest passengers per year.

London railway system opened at around 1863 and has 394 kilometers of route with approximately 775 passengers each year. On the other hand, railway of Tokyo had only 155 kilometers rail route with the largest passengers every year, at almost 1927 and started at 1927. According to the passengers number, Paris ranked second, having 1191 passengers with 199 kilometers route distance which began around 1900.

By contrast, Kyoto showed the lowest figures on rail route length and passengers number, around 11 kilometers and 45, respectively which opened at 1981. Los Angeles opened in 2001 having 28 kilometers and 50 passengers per year. Meanwhile, Washington Dc had 126 kilometers and 144 passengers which opened at 1976.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response selects the main features and gives a clear overview: London is identified as the oldest system with the longest route, Los Angeles as the newest, and Tokyo as having the highest annual passenger figure. It also includes figures for all six cities, so the key information is covered. Comparisons such as Paris’s second-highest passenger total and Kyoto’s lowest figures help support the summary. To make the account more fully developed, clarify that the passenger figures are in millions and avoid imprecise wording such as “around” when the table gives exact dates and values. The overview could also compare the scale of the systems more explicitly, for example by contrasting London’s route length with Tokyo’s passenger use.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping the larger and smaller systems. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “On the other hand,” and “By contrast” make the comparisons easy to follow, and the reader can locate each city’s details without difficulty. Some connections are less precise: “Meanwhile” introduces Washington DC, but the sentence does not explain how its figures contrast with Los Angeles or Kyoto. The repeated pattern of naming a city and listing its figures also makes parts of the report feel somewhat mechanical. More deliberate grouping—for example, comparing the three largest passenger totals together—would create a smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for describing the table, with useful terms such as “railway system,” “route length,” “recorded,” and “ranked second.” The writer also attempts varied phrasing, including “By contrast” and “experienced the highest passengers.” However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “the total passengers of a year” is unclear, and “experienced the highest passengers” would be better expressed as “carried the most passengers.” “Countries” is also inaccurate because the table compares cities. Repetition of “rail route” and “passengers” limits flexibility. Aim for precise collocations such as “annual passenger numbers” and “route network,” while retaining the clear, task-appropriate vocabulary already used.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause beginning “whereas” and a sentence with “which began around 1900.” Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening sentence has subject–verb disagreement (“The table illustrate”), and “a underground railway” needs the correct article. In “London railway system opened … and has 394 kilometers,” the article is missing and the tense shifts awkwardly; “opened … and has” would be clearer as “opened … and has a route length of.” The sentence about Kyoto also needs clearer punctuation and structure around “respectively.” Review articles, agreement, and tense consistency, and vary sentence patterns while checking each clause for accuracy.

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