Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-25

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 data presented informs us about how the metro is different in six developed cities.

Overall, the table presents data on the opening date, kilometres of route, and the number of commuters, in millions, using the underground system per year. It is clear, that the three oldest systems: London, Paris, and Tokyo, are also the most used and in addition to this the most expanded. On the other hand, the newer systems: Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles, are less popular and shorter in kilométres.

Regarding the older systems, London, the oldest metro, opened in 1863 with 394 kilometres of route, also being the third most popular with 775 million commuters every year. The most popular underground system is Paris, with 1191 millions, opened in 1900. Further, this system has almost 200 kilometres of route. Tokyo, the second most used (1927 million commuters), opened 27 years after Paris and is 155 kilometres long.

In comparison, the newest metro systems were opened in these cities: Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles. The newest underground railway system opened in 2001 with only 28 kilometers and 50 million commuters per year. Meanwhile, metro in Kyoto had opened before 2000, in 1981. Further, it is the shortest metro, with only 11 kilometers. In addition to this, it is also the least popular, only 45 million commuters using it yearly. In regards to Washington DC, the opening date was in 1976, having 144 million passengers per year, being 126 kilometres long.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response selects the main patterns and supports them with relevant figures: London is identified as the oldest and longest system, Paris as the most heavily used, and Kyoto as the shortest and least used. It also compares the older and newer systems, so the key features of the table are addressed. The overview is clear, although the claim that the three oldest systems are “the most expanded” is a little broad: London, Paris and Tokyo have the three longest routes, but their passenger rankings differ, with Tokyo first, Paris second and London third. For a stronger response, make comparisons more exact and consistently distinguish route length from annual passenger numbers. The coverage is otherwise well selected and sufficiently supported by data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised into a clear introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, with the older systems discussed before the newer ones. This gives the reader a logical progression, and linking phrases such as “On the other hand,” “Regarding,” and “In comparison” help signal contrasts. The sequence within the final paragraph is also understandable, moving from Los Angeles to Kyoto and then Washington DC. Some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “Further” and “In addition to this.” You could improve flow by grouping the figures more deliberately—for example, comparing the three smaller systems together—and using fewer, more precise links. Overall, the organisation remains clear throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is adequate range for describing the table, including “oldest,” “newest,” “most popular,” “shortest,” and “kilometres of route.” The writer also attempts more formal phrasing, such as “Regarding” and “In comparison,” and the meaning is generally clear. However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural for this data: “commuters” is not necessarily equivalent to passengers, “the metro is different” is vague, and “most expanded” is not a natural way to describe route length. “Kilométres” also contains a spelling/accent error, while “millions” is incorrectly used after 1191. To strengthen lexical control, use standard table-reporting terms such as “passengers,” “route length,” and “carried annually,” and check spelling and number expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including relative clauses and comparisons, as in “Tokyo, the second most used … opened 27 years after Paris.” Most sentences communicate the intended information, and the paragraphing supports readability. Some grammatical errors remain, especially with punctuation, articles, and verb forms. For example, the comma in “It is clear, that” is unnecessary; “the most popular underground system is Paris” would be more accurately framed as “the system with the most passengers is in Paris”; and “metro in Kyoto had opened” has an unsuitable tense and missing article. The sentence beginning “The newest underground railway system opened…” also leaves the city unnamed until the next sentence. More consistent sentence construction and careful editing would improve accuracy while preserving the range already attempted.

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