Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The three tables illustrates changes of individuals 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 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 thousand to more than one million people at the time.
By 2000, New York City still dramatically increased its population, reaching around 8 million people. Contrary, Manhattan had a slightly decreased 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 | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall growth of NYC and the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other districts. However, there are inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, the claim that Manhattan's population was 'significantly declining' throughout the period is not supported by the data, which shows an increase from 1800 to 1900 before a decrease. 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 somewhat superficial, and the lack of precision in reporting the figures limits the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on different time periods. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand', 'In 1800', and 'By 2000', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'Contrary, Manhattan had a slightly decreased'. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing of data points could be more fluid to improve the overall flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'carrying the population' instead of 'a population of', and 'the other districts at the bottom' which is vague. The use of 'quadrupled' is a good attempt at a more sophisticated term, but overall, the range is limited. Some errors in word form, such as 'a slightly decreased' (should be 'a slight decrease'), also impact the clarity of the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The three tables illustrates'), incorrect verb tenses ('had been increasing', 'had a slightly decreased'), and missing articles or prepositions. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical structures. Improving accuracy in tense usage and sentence construction is essential.
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