Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-26

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 three tables illustrate about the number of individuals of New York city as whole along with five different districts and how the figures have experienced growth in the time period between 1800 to 2000.

Overall, New York reached at the highest point of it's population in 2000, while in Manhattan had most number of residents residing there as compared other four districts.

In 1800, the total 79,216, people were living in New York majorly in Manhattan district (60,515), however, the remaining ones were 24%, who were the natives of other districts. After a century, the city experienced a rapid growth and it's population reached at 3,437,202 in which most of the masses choose to live in Manhattan district and the percentage was 54 out of total. Rest of the them used to live in four other districts namely Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, State Island- with a figure of 1,587,109 (46%).

In 2000, city's population had almost tripled from 1900, that was total 8,009,185. In contrast, in the past years, major part of the population liked to be in Manhattan district but in 2000, there was opposite it. 81% of this, became the residents of others districts which were Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, State Island while 19% (1,538,096) of them choose to stay in Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the data, including the total population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are inaccuracies in the interpretation of the data. For instance, you state that in 1900, 54% of the population lived in Manhattan, whereas the table shows Manhattan had 1,850,093 out of 3,437,202, which is approximately 53.8%. More significantly, you claim that in 2000, 81% of the population lived in the other districts, but the data shows the other districts combined account for 80.8% (6,471,089 out of 8,009,185). While you identify the key trends, the precision of your reporting could be improved to better reflect the provided figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific time periods. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In 1800', 'After a century', and 'In contrast'. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'there was opposite it'. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different timeframes, which helps the reader follow the chronological progression of the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'individuals', 'residents', 'districts', and 'growth'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'most of the masses' and 'the remaining ones were 24%'. Additionally, there are minor errors in word choice, such as 'State Island' instead of 'Staten Island'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'illustrate about the number', 'reached at the highest point', and 'it's population' (confusing 'it's' with 'its'). The use of articles and prepositions is occasionally inconsistent. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of possessive pronouns would improve the overall accuracy.

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