Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-20

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 information about the underground railway systems in six different cities.

Overall, the London underground railways system was oldest, opened in 1863, whereas kilometers of route recorded highest as compared with others, while Los Angeles was newest railway system has been opened in 2001. In contrast, Tokyo has contained the largest passengers per year, whereas Kyoto contributed the least amount of passengers.

To begin with, the oldest underground railway opened in 1863, that was London and the kilometers of route had been 394 which was far highest, however, it contained 775 millions passengers per year. Paris was opened in 1900 just after London, it ran 199 kilometers which was lower than London, but the passengers travelled by Paris train was (1191 millions) higher as compared to London. Furthermore, Tokyo opened at 1927, kilometers of route accounted for 155, while 1927 millions passengers per year, it was highest then other.

In addition, in 1976, Washington DC started with 126 kilometers of route and it reached to accounted 144 million passengers. Moreover, In 1981 and 2001, Kyoto and Los Angeles was started with 11 and 28 kilometeres of route respectively. However, the porportion of passengers was 45 million for Kyoto, Los Angeles inclined with 5 more points and reached at 50 million passengers which was higher than Kyoto.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover all three measures and identify the main contrasts: London is the oldest system and has the longest route, Tokyo carries the most passengers, and Kyoto has the lowest passenger figure. The overview is clear, and the body includes relevant comparisons, such as Paris carrying more passengers than London despite its shorter route. The figures are generally reported accurately. To strengthen the response further, make comparisons more consistently across the six cities and avoid imprecise claims such as “far highest”; for example, state directly that London’s route is almost twice Paris’s. The overview could also mention that Tokyo’s passenger total is the highest despite having a shorter route than London. The length requirement is met; eight words copied from the task prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The information is broadly grouped in a sensible order, moving from the older systems to the newer ones, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “In addition” help signal progression. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. In the overview, “whereas” and “while” join several comparisons in a way that makes the relationships difficult to follow. The final paragraph also shifts between opening dates, route lengths, and passenger totals without a clear comparison pattern. Grouping the cities by a shared feature, then using consistent comparison sentences, would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing the table, including “underground railway systems,” “route,” “passengers per year,” and “higher than.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main information. However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “kilometers of route recorded highest,” “contained the largest passengers,” and “inclined with 5 more points.” There is also a spelling error in “porportion,” and “millions passengers” is not a natural way to express the figures. Aim for standard chart language and precise comparisons, such as “had the longest route,” “carried the most passengers,” and “rose by five million.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses linked with “whereas,” “while,” and “however.” The main facts are usually understandable, but errors in sentence structure and verb forms are evident. For example, “Los Angeles was newest railway system has been opened” combines incompatible verb constructions, while “Tokyo opened at 1927” uses an incorrect preposition and tense pattern. Agreement is also inconsistent in “Kyoto and Los Angeles was started,” and the sentence beginning “the oldest underground railway opened in 1863, that was London” has faulty clause structure. Use straightforward past-tense forms for opening dates and check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries before adding complex clauses.

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