Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-02

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 provides data on the underground subway systems in six cities in terms of when they were opened, length of track and the number of passengers they carry annually.

Overall, London station is an oldest station while the station of Los Angeles is the newest station. Tokyo subway carries the most number of passengers in contrast to the Kyoto station which carries the smallest number of passengers.

The oldest station among all the stations is London which opened in 1863 and covers a length of track of 394 kilometres. In contrast Kyoto station is opened in 1981 covering only 11 kilometres of route and carrying the least number of passengers which are 45 million annually.

Tokyo and Paris carry the highest number of passengers which are 1927 and 1191 respectively. Los Angeles subway system is the newest station that covers a route of 28 kilometres and carry 50 million passengers per year. Washington DC station opened in 1976 and covers a route of 126 km and carry 144 million passengers annually.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main features and provide a clear overview: London is identified as the oldest system, Los Angeles as the newest, and Tokyo and Kyoto as having the highest and lowest annual passenger figures. Several key comparisons are supported with data, including London’s 394-kilometre route and Kyoto’s 11 kilometres. This meets the task well, with some of the next level’s overview and relevant comparisons already present. However, coverage is uneven: Paris is mentioned for passenger numbers but its opening date and route length are not reported, and the comparison of route lengths across the six systems could be developed more fully. Also, “London station” and “Kyoto station” can suggest individual stations rather than entire systems; describe them consistently as railway systems or networks.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction is followed by an overview and then paragraphs giving supporting details. The progression from the oldest and smallest systems to passenger figures and the remaining cities is generally easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “respectively” help signal relationships, although some connections feel mechanical or are not fully precise. For example, the overview groups Tokyo and Kyoto by passenger totals, while the next paragraph shifts to London and Kyoto’s route lengths before returning to passenger figures. A clearer grouping—perhaps older/larger systems followed by newer/smaller ones—would strengthen progression. Ensure each comparison is placed beside the figures it compares, and use references such as “the network” consistently to avoid ambiguity.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “annually,” “covers a length of track,” “route,” and “passengers per year.” These choices make the data understandable, and the response attempts some variation rather than relying entirely on basic terms. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural: “London station” and “Tokyo subway” do not consistently identify the systems, while “the most number of passengers” is an awkward collocation. Repetition of “station,” “opened,” and “covers” also limits flexibility. Use precise terms such as “network,” “route length,” and “annual ridership,” and vary reporting verbs appropriately. These improvements would make the comparisons more natural and exact without changing the meaning of the figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple statements and more developed sentences, including the contrast in “In contrast Kyoto station is opened in 1981…” and the sentence comparing Tokyo and Paris. The main information remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “London station is an oldest station” needs the article “the,” and “Kyoto station is opened” should use the past simple, “was opened.” There are also agreement errors in “Los Angeles subway system … carry” and “Washington DC station … carry”; the singular subjects require “carries.” The phrase “which are 45 million” also has an unclear grammatical reference. Check articles, tense, and subject–verb agreement, and vary sentence patterns while keeping each comparison controlled.

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