Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-14

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)

Here we are provided with three tables showing changes in population during 1800 to 2000. The first table shows the exponential increase in population change of New York City's all five districts collectively during [redacted phone] rising from 79,216 to 8,009,185.

The second table shows the population change of Manhattan as well as percentage of total population during [redacted phone] unlike the first table. The second table shows an increase of population from [redacted phone] and then a decline of about 300,000 people from [redacted phone] totaling from 1,850,093 in 1900 to 1,538,096 in 2000.

The third table shows the population change of other districts including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. The third table has similar style of description as of second table. During [redacted phone], the population increased exponentially reaching from mere 18,701 in 1800 to staggering 6,471,089 in 2000.

The first table provides information of New York City's all districts as whole while the second and third table describe the districts of New York City separately with second table detailing about Manhattan and third table providing knowledge of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response identifies the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the specific decline in Manhattan. However, the analysis is quite superficial. You have listed data points without effectively comparing the districts or highlighting the most significant shifts in the data. For instance, you mention the exponential growth but do not contrast the varying rates of growth between the districts or note the specific point in time when Manhattan's population began to decline. To achieve a higher band, you should focus on synthesizing the data rather than describing each table in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the flow is somewhat mechanical. You rely heavily on repetitive sentence structures, such as 'The first table shows...', 'The second table shows...', and 'The third table shows...'. This makes the progression of ideas feel list-like rather than analytical. While there is a logical sequence, the use of cohesive devices is limited, and the final paragraph is somewhat redundant as it repeats information already provided in the introduction and body paragraphs. Using a wider variety of linking words would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use some good descriptors like 'exponential increase' and 'staggering', but there is significant repetition of basic verbs like 'shows' and 'provides'. Furthermore, some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'knowledge of Brooklyn' or 'similar style of description as of second table'. To improve, focus on using more varied reporting verbs and precise terminology related to data trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stagnant'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'New York City's all five districts' is awkward; it should be 'all five districts of New York City'. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrasing, such as 'in 1800-2000' (should be 'between 1800 and 2000'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help.

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

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