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 writing describes the given three charts that comprise information about populations of three unique geographic regions during the same years of duration (1800, 1900, 2000). Primarily, the first chart describes the population in numbers for New York City's five districts. Whereas the second and third charts comprise data on the percentage of the total population in Manhattan and four other districts, such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, respectively.

Firstly, New York City's population increased exponentially between the years 1800 and 1900, by four times. Whereas the population only grew by roughly two and a half times.

Astonishingly, Manhattan comprised a population of size 60,515, which accounts for seventy-six percent of the total population in comparison to the other four districts combined, which only held 18,701 people, which accounts for twenty-four percent of the total population in the year 1800. However, in the year 1900, the populations seemed close enough, yet with an eight percent difference, Manhattan had a larger population.

Finally, in the year 2000, the other four districts surpassed Manhattan's population by accounting for eighty-one percent of the total population, whereas Manhattan only accounted 19% of the total population.

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. For instance, the statement that the population increased 'by four times' between 1800 and 1900 is inaccurate based on the provided data (which shows an increase from 79,212 to 3,437,202). Furthermore, the comparison of the 'other four districts' is handled well, but the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the trends beyond just listing figures. To improve, ensure data accuracy and provide a more cohesive synthesis of the trends observed across the century.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. The use of 'Whereas' at the start of sentences is sometimes grammatically awkward, which slightly impacts the flow. Overall, the information is arranged coherently, but the logical connection between the population growth and the percentage shifts could be more fluidly integrated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more precise language like 'exponentially' and 'surpassed'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'years of duration' and 'populations seemed close enough'. The repetition of 'accounted' and 'population' limits the range. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more varied synonyms and ensure that collocations are natural. For example, instead of 'comprised a population of size', use 'recorded a population of'.

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 'Manhattan only accounted 19%' (missing the preposition 'for') and the awkward phrasing in the second paragraph regarding population growth. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence structure could be more varied to demonstrate better control over complex forms. Focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.