Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-30

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 about the changes in the total population of New York City from the year 1800 to 2000. Whereas, the second and third tables provide information about the changes in the population of the five districts of the city over the same period.

Overall, there is massive increase in the population from the year 1800 to 2000 in new york city. However, Manhattan showed a slight decline of occupancy rate of total population in the year 2000 compared to 1800.

Firstly, New york city had 79,216 people in the year 1800 and then there is a huge growth in the population the the year 1900, over the time, the total population of new york city in the year 2000 is nearly 8,009,185.

However, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queen, Staten Island all combined only had 24% occupancy rate in the year 1800 while, Manhattan dominated with 76%. Later on, Manhattan's occupancy rate had declined to 19%, and the other four district's had increased to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While the total population figures are cited, the specific trends for individual districts (other than the general shift) are not detailed. The report would benefit from highlighting the specific growth patterns of the other four districts, which are grouped together rather than analyzed individually. The overview is present but could be more distinct. Overall, the response addresses the requirements but lacks the depth of analysis expected for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Firstly', and 'Later on' are used to link ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of information is generally clear, moving from the total population to the district-specific distribution. However, the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the use of 'the the' in the third paragraph, which disrupts the flow. Overall, the structure is coherent, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey the main trends. There are some attempts at more precise terminology, such as 'occupancy rate' and 'dominated'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'illustrates about' (should be 'illustrates') and 'decline of occupancy rate' (should be 'decline in'). The range is sufficient to communicate the data, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Spelling is generally accurate, though capitalization of proper nouns like 'New York' and 'Queens' is inconsistent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'there is massive increase' (missing article), 'the the' (repetition), and 'other four district's' (incorrect plural possessive). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor issues with comma usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but control over these structures is inconsistent.

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