Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-10

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 6.0)

The tables provide information about variations in the population of New York as a whole and its five different regions between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, the population of New York city increased dramatically over the 200- year period. Manhattan was the most populated districts, by 2000 Brooklyn had the largest population rate. Queens also experienced particularly rapid growth, while Staten Island remained the least populated throughout the periods.

In 1800, New York had a total population approximately 79,216. Manhattan accounted for the overwhelming majority of this figure, with 60,515 residents, representing 76% of city total population. The remaining other four boroughs, Brooklyn, Bronx, queens, Staten island combined, held just only 18701 people between them just 24% of the total. However, by 1900, the picture had begun to shift. The city population had surge to over 3.4 million and although Manhattan’s population had grown substantially to 1850,093, its share of total had fallen to 5.4%. Meanwhile, other boroughs had expanded considerably to 1,587,109 residents, now making up 46% of New York population, nearly matching Manhattan for the first time.

By 2000, the shift becomes even more pronounced, New York city’s total population had reached 8,009,185 more than 100 times its 1800-level. On the other hand, Manhattan’s population slightly decline since 1900, down to 1,538,096 representing only 19%of the total. In contrast, other boroughs combined had a growth intensely to 6,471,089, accounted for 81% of total population which is 4 times more that Manhattan’s share. , population growth over the following two centuries was overwhelmingly concentrated outside it, transforming the outer boroughs into the primary centers of population by the end of the twentieth century.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task, providing a clear overview and selecting key data points to illustrate the trends. You successfully identified the main shift from Manhattan-centric growth to the expansion of the outer boroughs. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, you state Manhattan's population was 1850,093 in 1900, whereas the table shows 1,850,093. Additionally, the claim that Manhattan's population 'slightly declined' between 1900 and 2000 is accurate, but the comparison of growth rates could be more precise. Overall, the response is well-developed and meets the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'However' are used to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods. While the flow is generally smooth, there is a minor issue with punctuation and sentence structure in the final paragraph, specifically the comma splice before 'population growth', which slightly disrupts the cohesion. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas remains clear throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'overwhelming majority', 'pronounced shift', and 'primary centers' are used effectively. There are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'population rate' instead of 'population size' and 'growth intensely' instead of 'intense growth'. Additionally, there are some minor spelling and capitalization inconsistencies (e.g., 'queens', 'Staten island'). Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for precise communication of the trends observed in the tables.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Manhattan was the most populated districts' (should be 'district'), 'city population had surge' (should be 'surged'), and '4 times more that Manhattan’s share' (should be 'than'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some errors, such as the comma splice in the final paragraph and missing spaces after some punctuation marks. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall understanding of the report.

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