Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-01

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 compares the information about undeground railway systems in six cities.

Overall, Tokyo contained the highest proportion of railway passengers while the least one is Kyoto. However, London has a longest railway track around 394 Kilometres.

A railway system was opened in London, in 1863, that contained route around 394 Kilometres and 775 millions passengers per year travelled through that. Furthermore, Paris railway system accounted for 1191 millions passengers per year with 199 Kilometres route and its opened in 1900.

Turning to Tokyo opened in 1927, it handled 1927 millions passengers per year and contained route of 155 Kilometres. Washington DC railway system launched in 1976 and it had no load of passengers. 144 millions passengers per year used this system. In contrast, Kyoto and Los Angles opened in 1981 and 2001, both had small routes and limited amount of passengers. Kyoto accounted 11 Kilometres with 45 millions passengers per year while Los Angles 28 Kilometres with 50 millions passengers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover all six cities and report the key measures: opening dates, route lengths and annual passenger figures. The overview identifies Tokyo as having the most passengers and London as having the longest route, which highlights important comparisons. However, the overview says Kyoto has the fewest passengers without also noting that it has the shortest route, and some details are less clearly expressed. In particular, “Washington DC … had no load of passengers” conflicts with the stated figure of 144 million, even though the next sentence gives that figure correctly. To strengthen the response, make the overview more complete and ensure each comparison is accurate and unambiguous, including the contrast between the older, larger systems and the newer, smaller ones.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping the cities. The progression from London and Paris to Tokyo and the remaining systems is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. Some connections are nevertheless mechanical or unclear. “Turning to Tokyo opened in 1927” lacks a clear grammatical link, while “In contrast” introduces Kyoto and Los Angeles without specifying exactly what they contrast with. The Washington passage also repeats the passenger information after an unclear statement, disrupting the flow. Use more precise transitions and organise comparisons around shared features, such as passenger numbers or route length, to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “route,” “accounted for,” “handled,” and “launched,” and the main information remains understandable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a table. “Highest proportion” suggests a share rather than the largest passenger total, and “contained route” and “no load of passengers” do not express the intended meanings naturally. There are also spelling and form errors, including “undeground” and “Los Angles.” Aim for precise, conventional collocations such as “carried the most passengers,” “had a route length of,” and “recorded 144 million passengers.” This would improve clarity and show more controlled vocabulary without needing unnecessarily elaborate wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and most of the data can be understood. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction. For example, “London has a longest railway track” needs a different article structure, while “Turning to Tokyo opened in 1927” is an incomplete or awkwardly attached clause. In “Kyoto and Los Angles opened … both had small routes,” the relationship between the clauses needs clearer punctuation or a linking word. The past-tense reporting is also inconsistent, as the overview uses “contained” and “has.” Practise building complete comparison sentences and keep tense consistent when describing the systems and their recorded figures.

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