Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-25
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)
Three different charts illustrate the changes in whole population of New York's five districts, first table shows citizens of all five distracts while other two tables depict the data of Manhattan and other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) in the years 1800, 1900 and 2000 respectively.
In 1800, total number of residents were 79,216 only. In district Manhattan population was 60,515 by accounting 76% although, other four districts had only 18,701 proportion at 24%.
By year 1900, total public of New York was 3,437,202 by distributing in districts Manhattan increased figures of residents to 1,850,093 by made up percentage of 54%. Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island also rose its population to 1,587,109 and reach at 46%.
In 2000-year, overall population of New York increased significantly to 8,009,185. In Manhattan population slightly decreased from 1,850,093 to 1,538,96 and made up only 16% although, other districts increased its number of individuals to 6,417,089 and accounted proportion at 81%.
In comparison, over the decades Manhattan population experienced an significant increase over the passage of time other four districts increased slightly.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends in the population data across the three time periods. You successfully highlighted the shift from Manhattan's dominance in 1800 to the significant growth of the other four districts by 2000. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing the data. To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are more analytical; for example, noting the contrast between the rapid growth of the outer districts versus the relative decline in Manhattan's percentage share would provide a more insightful overview.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is logically organized into paragraphs that follow a chronological order, which helps the reader follow the progression of data. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'By year 1900', and 'In comparison' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. The final sentence is somewhat confusing and does not accurately reflect the data provided in the tables, as it contradicts the earlier observation about the significant growth of the other districts. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, such as 'depict', 'significantly', and 'proportion'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'total public of New York' instead of 'total population', and 'by made up percentage' which is grammatically incorrect. Additionally, there is some repetition of basic vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('In district Manhattan'), verb forms ('by made up percentage'), and subject-verb agreement ('other districts increased its number'). Some sentences are poorly constructed, such as 'In 2000-year, overall population of New York increased significantly to 8,009,185.' These errors occur frequently enough to cause some distraction, though they do not completely impede communication. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.