Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-29
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 illustrates the difference between total number of people living in New York during the time period of 1800 to 2000. The other two tables depicts the population changes of individual different parts of the same city in the given time.
Overall, the population of New York City grows almost ten times as compared to 1800. While, Manhattan share in population drops drastically over the same period.
To begin with, In 1800 more than 75% of people used to live in New York city were in Manhattan district alone with remaining five districts of the city had only 24% of the population. After one century Manhattan still holds the more than half of the people of the city despite its share of the population went down to 54 %.
However, In 2000 most of the the previous number changed dramatically. Firstly, the population of the New York City doubles since 1900 to around 8 million and 80% of the people lived in five different districts of the city. Moreover, 2 of the 10 were resides still in the district of Manhattan which used to be holds the 3/4 of the population of the entire City.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers the main features of the data, such as the overall population growth and the shift in distribution away from Manhattan. However, the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, the statement that the population 'doubles since 1900' is not supported by the provided data, which shows a much larger increase. Additionally, the description of the 2000 data is confusing, particularly the phrase '2 of the 10 were resides still in the district of Manhattan'. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting the figures and some inaccuracies in interpreting the data limit the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and mechanical errors in referencing. For example, the transition between the 1900 and 2000 data is slightly abrupt, and the use of pronouns and referencing could be more precise to ensure the reader follows the comparison between the districts clearly.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'Manhattan share in population drops' (should be 'Manhattan's share') and '2 of the 10 were resides still'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of the information. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'proportion', 'decline', or 'significant shift', rather than relying on basic verbs and nouns.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('The other two tables depicts', '2 of the 10 were resides'), missing articles, and incorrect verb tenses ('used to be holds'). While the meaning is generally understandable, these persistent errors prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
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