Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The table compares the underground railway systems in six cities in terms of their opening dates, route lengths, and annual passenger numbers.

Overall, it is clear that London was the first city to open it's underground railway system, whereas Los Angeles was the most recent.

The first underground railway system was opened in London in 1963, followed by Paris, in 1900. Subsequently, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles also began operating underground railway system in 1927, 1976, 1981, and 2001 respectively.

Regarding route length, London had the longest underground railway network, extending for 394 km, followed by Paris at 199 km. In contrast, Kyoto had the shortest network, measuring just 11 km. In terms of annual passenger numbers, Tokyo recorded the highest figure, with approximately 1927 million passengers per year, followed by Paris and London with roughly 1191 and 775 million passengers per year respectively, whereas Kyoto had the lowest number, at around just 45 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You provide a clear overview by identifying London as the earliest system and Los Angeles as the newest, then compare route lengths and passenger totals. The key extremes are reported accurately: London has the longest network, Kyoto the shortest, and Tokyo the highest annual usage. However, coverage is uneven: Washington DC and Los Angeles are included in the opening-date sequence but their route lengths and passenger figures are not reported, so some table information is less fully addressed. There is also a significant data error: London’s opening year is given as 1963, whereas the table shows 1863. To strengthen the response, check every figure carefully and include the omitted comparisons, such as Washington DC’s relatively low passenger total and Los Angeles’s short route.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, and then details about opening dates, route lengths, and passenger numbers. This gives the reader a logical progression, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Regarding,” “In contrast,” and “whereas” help signal comparisons. The final paragraph does, however, combine several categories and figures in a long sentence, which makes the information slightly dense. The opening-date sentence also lists several cities in quick succession. Consider grouping the data into two focused detail paragraphs—one for dates and route lengths, and another for passenger numbers—and use concise comparisons to make each relationship easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing a table, including “route lengths,” “annual passenger numbers,” “extending,” “recorded the highest figure,” and “measuring.” These choices are generally clear and appropriately formal, and you vary the wording rather than repeating “system” throughout. Some phrasing is less natural or precise: “began operating underground railway system” needs a more idiomatic construction, and “around just 45 million” is unnecessarily repetitive. The possessive in “it's underground railway system” is also a word-form/spelling issue: use “its.” Aim for concise, conventional collocations such as “the network opened” and “carried 45 million passengers annually,” while retaining the useful range already shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You demonstrate a useful mix of sentence forms, including the overview clause “whereas Los Angeles was the most recent” and the contrast structure “whereas Kyoto had the lowest number.” Most sentences are easy to understand, and the data comparisons are generally expressed with good control. A few grammatical issues remain. In “began operating underground railway system,” the singular count noun needs an article (“an underground railway system”), and the list of cities needs clearer punctuation and parallel structure. The sentence beginning “The first underground railway system was opened…” also contains a comma that interrupts the phrase after “Paris.” Check articles, list construction, and punctuation when editing; these small corrections would make the otherwise clear structures more consistently accurate.

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.