Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 changes in total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000, whereas the second and third tables show the changes in the population of five districts of New York City.

Overall, the population of New York City increased gradually over the years. District-wise, the population of Manhattan increased more than other districts except in 2000, when other districts surpassed Manhattan.

In 1800, the population of New York City was only 79216. But in 1900, the number rose to 3,437,202. In 2000, however, there was a significant increase in population in New York City, which was 8,009,185.

The district of Manhattan had a population of 60,515 in 1800, which is significantly higher than other districts, such as Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, which had a population of 18,701. As a proportion of the total population, Manhattan had 76% of the population, and other cities had only 24%. In 1900, the population climbed sharply in both Manhattan and other cities, with 1,850,096 in Manhattan and 1,587,109 in other cities. At the time, Manhattan had 54% of the total population, and other cities had 46%, which is not very low compared to Manhattan. In the year 2000, the population of Manhattan dropped significantly compared to other cities. Manhattan had a population of 1,538,096, which was 19% of the total population, and other cities had 6,471,089, which was 81% of the total population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the total population and the district-specific data. You have successfully identified the main trends, such as the overall growth and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, the analysis could be improved by being more precise with the data. For instance, you mention that the population increased 'gradually,' but the jump from 79,216 to over 8 million is quite dramatic. Additionally, referring to the other districts as 'other cities' is inaccurate, as the prompt defines them as districts of New York City. More careful selection of data points to highlight the most significant changes would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by time period. You use cohesive devices such as 'whereas,' 'overall,' and 'in the year 2000' to guide the reader. However, the transition between the general population data and the district-specific data could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though the repeated use of 'other cities' creates some confusion regarding the subject matter. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the analysis, which helps maintain a clear progression of ideas throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surpassed,' 'proportion,' and 'significantly.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as referring to the districts as 'other cities,' which is factually incorrect based on the prompt. You also rely on some repetitive phrasing, such as 'had a population of.' To reach a higher band, try to vary your verbs and nouns—for example, using 'accounted for,' 'comprised,' or 'represented' when discussing percentages, and 'witnessed' or 'experienced' when describing population changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow, and the grammatical errors present do not impede communication. You have good control over punctuation and basic sentence construction. However, there are some minor slips, such as 'the population of Manhattan increased more than other districts,' which is a slightly awkward comparison (you are comparing a population to districts rather than to the populations of those districts). Increasing the variety of complex structures, such as using more relative clauses or passive voice constructions, would enhance the grammatical range.

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

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