Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given table depicts the data on underground railway systems in various cities and also mentioned opening dates, kilometres of routes, and number of passengers used every year.

Overall, it can be seen that, the first railway station was built in London and it covers more kilometres among the other cities. However, last railway station was constructed in Los Angeles. In addition, maximum passengers utilization of the railway was observed in Tokyo.

To begin with, London established their railway station in 1863, which covered 394 kilometres of route and 775 millions London passengers used this transportation per year. In addition to, in early 19th century railway station was built up by Paris and Tokyo. Which covers 199 and 155 kilometres of routes and the ratio of travellers was 1191 and 1927 millions per year.

Furthermore, Washington DC and Kyoto was constructed their underground railways in 1976 and 1981 respectively. Additionally, Washington DC covered 126 kilometres of route and 144 million passengers used. In contrast, Kyoto covered merely 11 kilometres of routes and 45 million travellers travelled every year. Lastly, Los Angeles introduced railway station in 2001 with 28 kilometres of routes and 50 million travellers noticed per year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response identifies the main patterns: London has the oldest system and longest route, Los Angeles the newest, and Tokyo the highest annual passenger figure. It also reports figures for all six cities, so the key information is covered. However, some comparisons are only listed rather than developed, and the overview’s phrase “first railway station” is less precise than describing the oldest underground system. The statement that Paris and Tokyo opened in the “early 19th century” is inaccurate: their opening dates are 1900 and 1927, in the 20th century. A clearer overview contrasting the oldest/largest systems with the newest/smallest, and more precise comparisons of passenger use against route length, would make the summary more complete and accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping the cities by their opening dates. Sequencing expressions such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the information, and the figures are generally presented in a sensible order. This coherent organisation is already effective, though some linking is mechanical and a few connections are unclear. For example, “In addition to” does not introduce a complete or natural link, while “Which covers…” is separated from the sentence it depends on. The contrast marker “In contrast” is also used for Kyoto without explaining the specific comparison. Use fewer formulaic transitions and connect comparisons directly to the relevant figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “route,” “travellers,” “established,” and “introduced,” and the reader can understand the intended comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision. “Maximum passengers utilization” is not a natural way to describe the highest annual ridership, and “passengers noticed per year” does not convey that people used the system. “Railway station” also refers to a station rather than an underground railway system, and “ratio” is unsuitable for the passenger totals. Aim for precise data-reporting terms and natural collocations, such as “annual passenger numbers” and “carried.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is an attempt to use both simple and more complex forms, including relative clauses (“which covered 394 kilometres”) and a comparison with “whereas” or “while” that could be developed further. Some sentences communicate the figures clearly, but grammatical errors occur in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles, and verb forms. For instance, “Which covers 199 and 155 kilometres” is a fragment, and “Washington DC and Kyoto was constructed” has a subject–verb agreement error and an unsuitable passive construction. The comma after “Overall” is also unnecessary. Improve control by checking that each sentence has a complete main clause, matching verbs to plural subjects, and keeping past-tense descriptions consistent.

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