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)

The first table provides information about the changes in population of New York City from the 1800s to 2000s, while the other two table illustrates the population in Manhattan and other districts as number figures and as percentage of total population.

Overall, there is an increase in population for all areas. The trend for the New York City and other districts were similar, increasing in population, whereas for Manhattan it has shown unstable number of population.

However, the percentage of population of Manhattan in total population has significantly decreased, but in contrast, the percentage of other districts increased.

According to the first table, the population for New York City increased dramatically in the 1800s (79,216) to 1900s (3,437,202) and continued to increase rapidly until 2000s reaching over 8,000,000.

The second table provides information that Manhattan in 1800s had 76% of total population living. In the 1900s, although there was an increase in population, the percentage dropped about 22 percentage points. By the 2000s, both population and percentage decreased recognizably.

Lastly, the third table has presented incredible result, where overtime, both population and percentage it takes in total population has increased from 18,701 in the 1800s, taking 24% of total population to 6,471,089 in the 2000s, hitting the peak of 81% of total population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of Manhattan's population as 'unstable' is inaccurate; the data shows a clear rise followed by a decline, which should be described with more precision. Furthermore, the report lacks a clear comparison between the specific districts mentioned in the prompt, focusing instead on a broad grouping of 'other districts'. While the key trends are identified, the lack of detail regarding the individual districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) limits the depth of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on different aspects of the data. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Lastly' are used to guide the reader. However, there are some issues with referencing and flow. For example, the phrase 'the other two table' is grammatically incorrect and creates a slight disruption. Additionally, the transition between the general population trends and the specific district data could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved to better link the data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey the main trends. There are some attempts at more sophisticated language, such as 'dramatically', 'rapidly', and 'recognizably'. However, there are instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'number figures' instead of 'numerical figures' and 'incredible result', which is not an objective way to describe statistical data. The repetition of 'population' and 'percentage' is noticeable, suggesting a need for a wider range of synonyms to improve the lexical variety of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'the other two table illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error), 'in the 1800s (79,216) to 1900s' (preposition error), and 'percentage it takes in total population' (awkward phrasing). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a lack of control over more complex grammatical structures. A greater focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage would improve the accuracy of the writing.

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