Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-24
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 6.5)
The table compares, the population of New York city between [redacted phone]. And show how the population distributed between Manhattan and the other four districts.
Overall, the total population of New York city increased lot from [redacted phone]. Manhattan is the biggest district in the beginning but the percentage of the total population districts while the other districts become more populated.
In 1800 New York city had only 79216 people. This number rose to [redacted phone] in 1900 and reached [redacted phone] in 2000.
Manhattans population increased from 60515 in 1800 to [redacted phone] in 1900. However, it fell slightly to [redacted phone] in 2000. Its share to total population also dropped from 76% to 56% and then to 19%.
Overall, the population of the other four districts grow quickly. It rose 18701 in 1800 to [redacted phone] in 1900 before increasing to [redacted phone]in 2000. Their percentage of the city population also increased significantly from 24% to 46% and finally to 81%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shifting distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat limited. While you identify the trends, the explanation of the data could be more precise. For example, the statement 'Manhattan is the biggest district in the beginning but the percentage of the total population districts' is grammatically incomplete and unclear. Additionally, the final paragraph groups the four districts together, which is a good way to manage the data, but the comparison could be more analytical by highlighting the specific turning points or the scale of the shift more effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However' and 'Overall', to link sentences. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by mechanical errors and awkward phrasing, such as the opening sentence which contains an unnecessary comma and a sentence fragment ('And show how...'). Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the total population data and the district-specific data could be smoother to improve the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic verbs like 'increased', 'rose', and 'grow' (which should be 'grew'). There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'percentage of the total population districts' which is confusing. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more sophisticated synonyms for growth and decline, and ensure that your collocations are accurate. The use of 'lot' in 'increased lot' is informal and should be replaced with an adverb like 'significantly' or 'substantially'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include punctuation errors ('compares, the population'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the other four districts grow quickly' should be 'grew'), and missing articles or prepositions ('share to total population'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. You should focus on proofreading for basic tense consistency and ensuring that your sentences are complete and grammatically sound.
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