Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The first table below shows changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables show changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the same period.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The given tables, illustrates the fluctuation of population along the three centuries 1800 to 2000 in the New york city and its five districts(Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx,Queens, Staten Island)

Overall, the maximum number of population was recorded in the year 2000 and the lowest number of population was in 1800.

In the year, 1800 the total number of population was 79,216, more then three quaters of the population was from Manhattan(60,515) whereas all the other four districts combine had 24%(18,701) of the population, then in 1900 the population rased more than four times it was in 1800 making it 3,437,202 of which 54%(1,850,093) was from Manahattan and the rest 46% (1,587,109)was from all four districts.

Moving to, the year 2000 the population again hiked more than double, to 8,009,185 in which population of Manhattan was just 19%(1,538,096) and the rest 81%(6,471,089) was from the four districts Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, State Island.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main changes and report the key figures accurately: the city grows from 79,216 in 1800 to 8,009,185 in 2000, while Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19% and the other districts’ share rises to 81%. The overview identifies the highest and lowest totals, but it would be more informative if it also highlighted the major shift in population distribution away from Manhattan. Some comparisons are stated imprecisely: the total in 1900 was over 43 times the 1800 figure, not “more than four times,” and the 2000 total was more than double the 1900 figure. Clarifying these comparisons and noting that Manhattan’s population itself peaked in 1900 would make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence: an introduction, an overview, and then a chronological account of the three years. This makes the information easy to follow, and phrases such as “In the year 1800” and “Moving to the year 2000” signal progression. However, the final two years are packed into long sentences with several figures and comparisons, so the reader has to work to separate the main points. Some linking phrases, including “then” and “Moving to,” feel mechanical, and the opening sentence’s list of districts interrupts the flow. Use shorter, more controlled sentences and organise the details around the changing contrast between Manhattan and the other districts to improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for describing data, including “total,” “population,” “whereas,” “recorded,” and “hiked,” and the meaning is generally clear. However, several choices are inaccurate or too informal for an academic report. “Fluctuation” suggests repeated rises and falls, although the overall city population increases; “hiked” is conversational; and “number of population” is an unnatural collocation. There are also spelling errors in “quaters,” “rased,” “Manahattan,” and “State Island,” alongside inconsistent capitalisation of “New York.” Choose precise reporting language and check spelling carefully. These issues limit the accuracy and naturalness of the vocabulary, even though the main data remain understandable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a useful contrast with “whereas” and clauses beginning “of which” and “in which.” The main relationships between figures are usually understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, however: the opening should be “The given tables illustrate,” without a comma separating the subject and verb; “in the year, 1800” has an unnecessary comma; and “the rest 46% … was” needs a clearer construction, such as “the remaining 46% … came from.” Several long sentences also combine multiple clauses without consistently clear punctuation. Aim for more accurate agreement, articles, and clause boundaries, and vary sentence length so complex structures remain controlled.

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