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 below shows a comparison of underground railway system in six cities. The information include date it was opened, length of the route and number of passengers per year.

Overall, London was the first to be opened and has the longest length of route, while Tokyo recorded the highest number of passengers. Kyoto had the shortest length and the lowest number of passengers per year.

Tokyo, opened in 1927, recorded the highest number of passengers, followed by Paris which was opened in 1900 and recorded 1191 passengers per year. London, which was the first to be opened recorded 775 passengers despite having the longest route. A city with least number of passengers is Kyoto which recorded 45 passengers per year followed by Los Angeles with 50 passengers per year.

In terms of route length, London was the highest with 394 kilometers followed by Paris with 199 kilometers. Tokyo despite having highest number of passengers has 155 kilometers. A city with the shortest length is Kyoto with 11 kilometers followed by Los Angeles with 28 kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main patterns clearly: London is the oldest system and has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto is smallest and least used. It also makes relevant comparisons among Paris, Tokyo, London, Los Angeles and Kyoto, with figures generally reported accurately. This gives the overview a clear focus and addresses the table’s key features. To make the account more fully developed, include the remaining comparisons, particularly Washington DC, whose 126-kilometre network and 144 million passengers distinguish it from the other systems. Also clarify that passenger figures are in millions; phrases such as “1191 passengers” could otherwise suggest a much smaller total. The main features are selected effectively, though coverage is not quite comprehensive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, then comparisons of passenger numbers and route lengths. This makes the information easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “while,” “followed by” and “despite” help show contrasts. The overview also prepares the reader for the details that follow. However, cohesion is somewhat mechanical because “followed by” and “A city with…” recur, and the two detail paragraphs omit Washington DC, leaving the comparison less complete. Some references are also imprecise: “the highest” in the route paragraph relies on the reader inferring that this means route length. Use more varied comparison structures and name the measure explicitly to make progression smoother and referencing clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Vocabulary is adequate for describing the table, and the response uses relevant terms such as “recorded,” “route,” “length” and “passengers per year.” Phrases including “the longest length of route” and “the shortest length” communicate the intended comparisons. However, some wording is repetitive or imprecise, especially repeated uses of “opened” and “recorded,” and “the highest” does not specify whether it refers to passenger numbers or route length. There are also collocation and form issues in “underground railway system” and “the least number of passengers.” More precise alternatives such as “network,” “annual ridership” and “carried” would give the description greater flexibility and accuracy while retaining a formal report style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple statements and more complex structures, including relative clauses (“which was the first to be opened”) and a concessive construction (“despite having the longest route”). Most sentences are understandable, and the paragraphing and punctuation are generally controlled. Some grammatical errors remain, however. The opening says “The information include,” where the singular subject requires “includes”; “a city with least number” is missing an article; and “Tokyo … has 155 kilometers” shifts from past-tense reporting to the present. The sentence “London, which was the first to be opened recorded…” also needs a comma after the introductory relative clause. Check agreement, articles and consistent tense, while continuing to use varied sentence forms.

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