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 FIRST TABLE IILUSTRATES DIFFERENCES IN THE GENERAL POPULACE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN NEW YORK BETWEEN THE YEAR 1800 TO 2000. WHILE THE SECOND AND THIRD DIAGRAM GIVES INFORMATION ON THE CHANGES THAT OCCURED IN POPULATION OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE ISLANDS OF MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN, BRONX, QUEENS AND STATEN IN PERCENTAGE (%)

OVERALL, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN NEW YORK CONSTANTLY INCREASED OVER THE YEARS BY A SIGNIFICANT FIGURE. WHILE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING ON THE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN DRASTICALLY REDUCED BETWEEN THOSE YEARS. WHEREAS THERE IS A STEADY INCREASE IN THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE OTHER FOUR ISLANDS.

IN 1800, THE TOTAL POPULATION IN THE FIVE DISTRICTS WAS AT 79,216 PEOPLE LIVING THERE, WHICH KEPT INCREASING UNTILL 2000 WHEN IT REACHED ITS PEAK AT TOTAL OF 8,009,185 PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NEW YORK CITY.

CONVERSELY, IN 1800, THE POPULATION OF INDIVIDUALS IN MANHATTAN ISLAND WAS AT ITS HIGHEST PERCENTAGE AT 76% NOT UNTILL 2000 WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A DRAMATIC FALL TO A FIGURE OF 19%.

OTHER ISLANDS SUCH AS BROOKLUN, BRONX, QUEENS AND STATEN GRADUALLY RISE FROM 24% IN 1800. THEN IN 1900, IT GOT TO 46% WHICH KEPT INCREASING TO IT REACHES ITS ZENITH AT 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall trends: New York’s population rose substantially, Manhattan’s share fell, and the other districts’ share increased. The figures you give for the city total and the percentage shares are accurate, and the overview is relevant. This meets the task well, with some evidence of the fuller coverage expected at the next level. However, the account is less complete because it omits the key change in Manhattan’s actual population: it rose from 60,515 in 1800 to 1,850,093 in 1900, then declined to 1,538,096 in 2000. Also, “other four islands” is imprecise: these are districts, and the table groups them together. Include the 1900 city total and compare absolute populations as well as percentages to develop the report more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to details about the city total and district shares. This gives the reader a coherent overall arrangement. However, progression is weakened by the abrupt, fragment-like overview statements beginning “While” and “Whereas,” and by the final paragraph’s shift from Manhattan to the other districts without a clear comparison. Linking expressions such as “Conversely” and “Then” are used, but some connections feel mechanical rather than showing precise relationships. Group the information into clear comparisons—for example, citywide growth first, followed by Manhattan versus the combined other districts—and use complete sentences with clear references to the figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “increased,” “reduced,” “dramatic fall,” and “reaches its zenith.” These choices make the broad direction of change understandable, and some less common language is attempted. However, several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural for a statistical report: “general populace of people,” “significant figure,” and “large number of people” are vague or redundant. “Islands” is also an imprecise label for the districts, while “diagrams” does not accurately describe tables. Spelling errors such as “IILUSTRATES,” “occured,” “untill,” and “Brooklun” reduce control. Prefer concise, precise terms such as “population,” “districts,” “proportion,” and “accounted for,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while” and “when,” and the main trends can generally be understood. However, some sentence structures are incomplete or faulty: “While number of people … drastically reduced” and “Whereas there is a steady increase…” are dependent clauses presented as sentences. There are also errors in agreement and tense, as in “the second and third diagram gives” and “which kept increasing … to it reaches.” Articles and prepositions are sometimes missing or awkward, for example “at total of” and “between the year 1800 to 2000.” Build complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, maintain consistent past-tense reporting, and check agreement and sentence boundaries.

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