Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-13

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 given tables introduces the population percentage across 1800s to the 2000s of New York City and its five districts. We can see the noticible differences in the population settlement in vaious districts as the years progress to the modern timeline.

Analyzing the first table, we can see that the total population of New York City in the year 1800 was 79,216, which skyrocketed to 3,437,202 in just a 100 years. A population survey in the year 2000 showed us that the population had increased even more to the digits of 8,009,185, doubling the concentration of the population by roughly 96%.

The other 2 tables show us the distribution of the general public in New York City throughout the years in varied districts and their contribution in the total percentage of New York's popultion. In the year 1800, Manhattan had the most populated cluster of 60,515 people, making up 76% of the whole unit, which as seen, in later years was the home to only 19% of the unit with only 1,538,096 people residing there. In contrast to Manhattan, the other districts, namely, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island had a accumulative population of 18,701 persons in 1800 and 6,471,089 in 2000, almost 81% population residing amongst these 4 areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the data, including the total population growth and the shift in distribution across districts. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by minor inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, stating the population increased by '96%' is a vague way to describe the growth, and the comparison between 1800 and 2000 is clear but could be more precise regarding the intermediate years. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the most significant trends, such as the dramatic shift from Manhattan-centric population to the other four districts. Overall, the response addresses the requirements well but lacks the depth of analysis needed for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from the total population to the district-specific data. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast to' and 'Analyzing the first table' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of referencing is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions between sentences could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, though the final paragraph is quite dense and could have been split to better separate the discussion of Manhattan from the other districts, improving the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language like 'skyrocketed' and 'accumulative'. However, there are several spelling errors ('noticible', 'vaious', 'popultion') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'digits of 8,009,185' and 'the whole unit'. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, the errors in spelling and word choice prevent it from reaching a higher band. More precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion' or 'demographic shift', would improve the quality of the response.

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 subject-verb agreement in the opening sentence ('The given tables introduces') and incorrect preposition usage ('across 1800s'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. The control over punctuation is generally good, but the sentence structure could be more varied to demonstrate a higher level of grammatical flexibility. The majority of the sentences are understandable, but the presence of consistent minor errors limits the score.

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