Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-12

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 first table depicts the overall population of New York City's five districts between 1800 and 2000 while the next two tables show the same changes separately.

Overall, the key feature is that the number of people increased dramatically in New York. Moreover, even though the number of residents in Manhattan increased over the years, the percentage of total population dropped for this area while the other four witnessed dramatic growth in both population and percentage.

In five districts of New York, the population had increased significantly from the year 1800 around 79,216 to 8,009,185 in 2000. Manhattan had the highest percentage of total population(76%) which was almost one third of the population in 1800 while the other four parts(Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) were as low as 24%. Additionally, in 1900 Manhattan was almost a half proportion(54%) while the others were less than a half(46%).

Conversely, the dominance of numbers reversed in the final year 2000 when Manhattan's proportion decreased to 19% while the other four districts were noted as high as 81% which was the highest recorded data in the whole chart.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the data well, identifying the overall growth trend and the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. You successfully highlighted the contrast between 1800 and 2000. However, the report could be improved by including more specific data points for the intermediate years (e.g., 1900) to better illustrate the trend. While the overview is clear, the description of the data is slightly repetitive in its structure. To reach a higher band, ensure that all key figures are presented accurately and that the comparison between the districts is more nuanced throughout the entire period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information effectively. You use cohesive devices such as 'Conversely', 'Additionally', and 'Overall' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing of the 'other four parts' could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the general population growth to the specific shifts in district percentages. To improve, focus on varying your cohesive devices to make the flow between sentences feel more natural and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'depicts', 'witnessed', 'dominance', and 'proportion'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'half proportion' and 'noted as high as', which sound slightly unnatural in this context. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to data description, such as 'accounted for' or 'represented a significant share'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'in five districts of New York, the population had increased' (the past perfect is not necessary here) and 'the other four parts... were as low as 24%' (which is slightly awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally correct, but there are minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. The errors present do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring accuracy would help improve this score.

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

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