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 total population shifts of New York City between 1800 and 2000 are displayed in the first table and the other two tables show changes of inhabitants of five districts of the city namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island over the given time period.
Overall, the total population in New York City has increased significantly over the years where most of it occurred in Manhattan in 1800 and 1900. However, the number of residents increased in the other four cities in the final year reaching 81%.
The total number in the year 1800 was 79,216 in which 76% of them lived in Manhattan alone. A hundred years later the population increased significantly to 3,437,202 where more than half of the proportion lived in Manhattan making this district the most populous among the five.
However, the overall number reached more than double in the year 2000 making it 8,009,185, of which 81% (6,471,089) of the people started living in the other four districts leaving only 19% (1,538,096) of the people in Manhattan which was previously the most famous place to reside. As the number experienced a high rise in Manhattan in the first two years, it dramatically fell in 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall growth of New York City and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, there are some inaccuracies in the interpretation of the data. For instance, the claim that the population 'dramatically fell' in Manhattan in 2000 is misleading; while its percentage share decreased, the absolute number of residents actually increased compared to 1800 and remained significant. Additionally, referring to the other districts as 'four cities' is factually incorrect based on the prompt. The summary is generally clear, but more precise reporting of the figures would improve the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In which', and 'A hundred years later' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'where most of it occurred in Manhattan in 1800 and 1900'. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother to better highlight the contrast in population distribution over the two centuries.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'inhabitants', 'populous', and 'proportion'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as referring to the districts as 'cities' and using 'most famous place to reside' which is slightly informal and subjective for an academic report. The use of 'high rise' is also a bit imprecise in this context. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'where most of it occurred' (referring to population growth as a location) and 'the total number in the year 1800 was 79,216 in which 76% of them lived'. The sentence 'As the number experienced a high rise in Manhattan in the first two years, it dramatically fell in 2000' is grammatically confusing as it misinterprets the timeline. Despite these errors, the meaning is generally clear, and the punctuation is mostly accurate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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