Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
The total number of population shifts in New York between 1800 to 2000 is displayed in the first table and the rest of the tables compare the population changes of the five boroughs of the city, namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
Overall, the number of residents in New York had risen significantly in the given period overtime. Manhattan seemed to be the most popular destination for residents till 1900 before experiencing a dramatic drop in 2000, making the other four districts stand out in that year.
In 1800, out of 79,216 people living in New York, 60,515 resided in Manhattan, which is 76 in proportion of the total number, leaving only 18,701 or 24% reside in the other four districts. Then, the number of overall inhabitants increased massively in 1900 reaching approximately to 3.4 million people. Manhattan still stood as a strong destination for about 1.8 million people, which is 54% of the total population. Even though, Manhattan was the most popular district, the number of residents increased to about 1.5 million in 1900 in the other four boroughs, displaying 46% of the total number.
The total number more than doubled to 8,009,185 in 2000. However, this time the other four districts became more popular with 6,471,089 people living there reaching 81% of the total population. Whereas, Manhattan experienced a drastic fall to only 1,538,096 residents, which is only 19% of the total New Yorkers in that year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response effectively summarizes the main trends in the population data. You successfully identified the significant overall growth and the shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other four boroughs. The inclusion of specific data points (e.g., 60,515 in 1800; 8,009,185 in 2000) provides good support for your observations. However, the report could be improved by explicitly mentioning the individual growth trends of the other boroughs, as the prompt asks for information regarding all five districts. While you grouped them, a brief mention of the most significant growth among the remaining four would have provided a more comprehensive overview.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'In 1800,' 'Then,' and 'However' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the initial state from the later developments. The progression of ideas is clear, and the relationship between the total population and the borough-specific data is well-managed, ensuring the reader can easily follow the comparison between Manhattan and the other districts.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'residents,' 'inhabitants,' 'drastic fall,' and 'proportion of the total' are used accurately. There are some minor awkward phrasings, such as 'number of population shifts' (which is not quite accurate for population totals) and '76 in proportion' (which lacks a unit or clear grammatical structure). Despite these minor issues, the vocabulary is precise enough to communicate the trends effectively without causing confusion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'reaching approximately to 3.4 million' (the preposition 'to' is unnecessary) and '76 in proportion of the total number' (which is syntactically incomplete). Additionally, there is a minor punctuation error: 'Even though, Manhattan was the most popular district, the number...' (the comma after 'though' is unnecessary). However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of your sentences are clear and easy to understand.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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