Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-06

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 table compares the population of New York City and its five districts in 1800, 1900 and 200.

They also show the proportion of total amount of residents in Manhattan and four other cities over the same time.

Overall, New York City increased dramatically in 2000. Although Manhattan is highly populated, its total population share declined considerably, while the combined other four cities increased and was dominant in 2000.

In 1800, New York had about 79,216. Manhattan recorded up to 60,515 with 76% share, whereas the other combined cities had just 18,701 and 24% share of total population. In 1900, New York accounted for about 3,437,202 individuals. Manhattan housed an increasing number of inhabitant of about 1.8 million and above with decrease in share of 54%, meanwhile the four other cities put together had just between 1.5 million people with the decreased shared of just 19%.

By 2000, the city’s population had risen further to 8,009,185. Manhattan’s population fell slightly to 1,538,096, reducing its share to 19%. In contrast, the combined population of the other districts increased substantially to 6,471,089, accounting for 81% of New York City’s residents overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task, including the total population and the district-specific data. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the dramatic growth of the city and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts. However, the analysis of the 1900 data contains some inaccuracies; you mention the other districts had a 'decreased shared of just 19%', but the table shows 46%. Additionally, there is a minor typo in the year '200' instead of '2000'. Despite these, the key features are clearly reported and comparisons are made effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on chronological progression. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'meanwhile', and 'in contrast' are used to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of information is easy to follow. While some transitions are slightly mechanical, the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of the data trends. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the total population and the district breakdown could be slightly more seamless.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dramatically', 'considerably', and 'substantially' to describe trends. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'inhabitant' (should be plural 'inhabitants') and 'decreased shared' (should be 'decreased share'). You also use 'cities' to refer to the districts, which is slightly inaccurate as they are boroughs or districts of one city. However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, and you show an attempt to use more precise language to describe statistical changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'the combined other four cities increased and was dominant' (subject-verb agreement error: 'were dominant') and 'inhabitant of about 1.8 million' (should be 'inhabitants'). Punctuation is generally accurate, and these errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and pluralization consistency. The use of complex structures like 'Although Manhattan is highly populated, its total population share declined' is a positive feature of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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