Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-28
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 illustrates changes of people across New York City and five districts of the city, namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, New York City and other districts trend was gradually upward throughout the 200-year-period. On the other hand, Manhattan’s population was significantly declining.
In 1800, New York City was carrying the population approximately eight thousand people, it had been the most populated area at the time with Manhattan followed by around 60 thousand people or 76%, and the other districts at the bottom, by around 18 thousand people.
In 1900, New York City was increasing its population more than quadrupled from the previous, going up approximately three million people. Manhattan and the other districts had been increasing as well, from thousands to more than one million people at the time.
By 2000, New York City still dramatically increased its population, reaching around 8 million people. Conversely, Manhattan had a slight decrease from around 1.8 million to 1.5 million people. The other districts had grown rapidly from approximately 1.5 million to around 6.5 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall growth of New York City and the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are inaccuracies in the data interpretation. For instance, the claim that Manhattan’s population was 'significantly declining' in the overview is an overgeneralization, as the decline only occurred in the final century, and the initial data shows growth. Additionally, the statement that NYC had 8,000 people in 1800 is incorrect based on the provided table (which shows 79,216). The summary is generally clear, but more precise data reporting is required to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the trends. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'On the other hand', and 'Conversely' are used to signal shifts in the narrative. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions between sentences are slightly abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, though the grouping of 'other districts' is a bit vague given that the prompt provides specific data for each. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends using terms like 'gradually upward', 'significantly declining', and 'quadrupled'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'carrying the population' (which is unnatural) and 'from the previous' (which is incomplete). While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. The student relies on basic descriptive language rather than more varied academic terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The three tables illustrates' (subject-verb agreement) and 'New York City was carrying the population approximately eight thousand people' (preposition/article usage). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'it had been the most populated area at the time with Manhattan followed by around 60 thousand people'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. More attention to verb tenses and sentence construction is needed.
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