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 tables illustrates the population data of New York city for last 200 years form 1800 to 2000, the other two tables compares the persons residing in Manhattan with other districts which include Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
Overall, the there is a significant rise in population over the centuries as each century the population grew more than twice of the existing folks. Another noteworthy point is that in past people use to live in Manhattan, which became least populated in recent times compared to other districts.
To dive into the specifics, in the past the New York had 79,216 people staying in the city, which significantly rose to 3,437,202 in 1900, which is more than 4 times the previous, which continued over time till 2000, this number which grew to 8,009,185 which is more than twice the number in 1900.
Moving to other tables about 76% of the total used to stay in Manhattan in 1800, which gradually declined to 54% in 1900, and lastly it fell to 19% which is about 1,538,096 people in the city. On comparing this to other districts which in contrast attracted a lot of people, numberically 18,701
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main trends in the data, identifying the overall population growth and the shift in distribution from Manhattan to other districts. However, the analysis is incomplete. The response stops abruptly at the end of the final paragraph, failing to provide a full comparison of the other districts or a concluding summary of the data provided in the tables. While the main features are identified, the lack of completion and the omission of specific data points for the other districts (e.g., the rapid growth of Brooklyn or Queens) limit the development of the response. To improve, ensure all parts of the prompt are addressed and the analysis is brought to a logical conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'To dive into the specifics', and 'Moving to other tables', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the population figures. The abrupt ending significantly disrupts the flow and coherence of the text. To improve, focus on ensuring that each paragraph has a clear concluding thought and that transitions between sentences are more natural and varied.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, though it lacks sophistication. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'folks' (which is too informal for an academic report) and 'numberically'. Phrases like 'more than twice the number' are functional but repetitive. The student attempts to use some data-related terminology, but the overall lexical control is limited. To reach a higher band, incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to trends and data comparison, such as 'surged', 'proportion', 'fluctuated', or 'accounted for', and avoid informal colloquialisms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Subject-verb agreement issues are present, such as 'The tables illustrates' and 'the there is'. There are also punctuation errors, such as comma splices ('...in 1900, which is more than 4 times the previous, which continued over time...'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of the writing. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic agreement and sentence boundary errors, and aim for more varied, error-free complex sentences.
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