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 compares the information of underground railway systems in six different cities.

Overall, it is evident that the opening dates of railways, their range and the passengers per year are mentioned in the table, London was the oldest opened railway and their range accounted for highest to all. Tokyo accounted for the most travellers per year.

London underground railway system was initiated in 1863. Their range is 394 km and 775 million has been reported per year. In contrast,opening ceremony of Paris held in 1900. Despite this,their kilometers route declined to almost half. Their passengers has been recorded 1191 million. Furthermore, Tokyo underground trains route system launced in 1927. 155km range has been recorded and 1927 million inhabitants are accounted.

Similarly, Washington DC railway system opened in 1976. It covered the distance of 126km in his track. Whereas his passengers has been reported 144 million per year. Moreover, slight fluctuations of travellers has been recorded in Kyoto and Los Angeles railway systems. They have 11km and 28km range respectively. Kyoto was launched in 1981. Meanwhile, Los Angeles railway line opened in 2001.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the table’s main patterns in the overview: London is the oldest system and has the longest route, while Tokyo carries the most passengers. You also report figures for all six cities, so the response addresses the task. However, some comparisons are incomplete or unclear. For example, you say Paris’s route “declined to almost half” without stating its 199 km figure or clearly comparing it with London’s 394 km. The final paragraph gives Kyoto’s and Los Angeles’s route lengths and opening dates but omits their annual passenger figures, and “slight fluctuations” does not accurately describe the data. Include the missing figures and make the key contrasts more precise to develop the overview and details more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs covering the cities. Grouping London, Paris, and Tokyo before Washington DC, Kyoto, and Los Angeles gives the reader a workable progression. You also use linking expressions such as “In contrast,” “Furthermore,” and “Similarly.” At times, however, these links feel mechanical or do not express the relationship accurately; “Similarly” does not clearly connect Washington DC with the earlier examples, and “Whereas” begins a fragment-like contrast. Some references, including “their” and “his,” are unclear. Use fewer, more precise transitions and organise details around meaningful comparisons, such as route length or passenger numbers.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the table, including “accounted for,” “recorded,” “covered,” and “launched.” These attempts to vary your wording show some flexibility, and the intended meaning is generally understandable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for data reporting: “the information of” is less suitable than “information about,” “range” should be “route length,” and “slight fluctuations” suggests changes over time that the table does not show. “Inhabitants” is also not an appropriate substitute for passengers. Check collocations and choose terms that describe the data precisely; accurate repetition of “passengers” or “route” is preferable to an unsuitable synonym.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including contrasts introduced by “Despite this” and “Whereas,” and the main information can usually be followed. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “their passengers has been recorded” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “London was the oldest opened railway” is not formed naturally. The sentence beginning “Overall” also joins several ideas with a comma, making the structure difficult to control. Review singular and plural agreement, and build comparisons as complete sentences—for instance, state that passenger numbers “were” recorded or that a system “carried” a given number. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen this criterion.

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