Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-15

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 three tables below illustrate the transition in the population of five different regions including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronze, Queens and the Staten Island of New York Cities in the given time period.

Overall, the total number of residents increased over the time. In terms of the cities, the percentage of the Manhattan city showed a sharp decline from 76% to 19%, while the rest of the districts experienced the opposite trend.

In the first table, considering all the given areas, the figure of civilians was 79216 in 1800. And these numbers increased significantly in 1900, which was 3,437,202. Whereas in the last year, this figure reached 8,009,185.

The data in the following tables showed that Manhattan's population was almost three quarters higher (75%) in comparison to the other regions, likewise 60515 in Manhattan and 18701 in other the districts in 1800. Moreover, the figure demonstrates that the data was 1,850,093 in 1900, with a slight decline in the percentage of the total population (54%). Last but not least, the proportion plummeted to 19% and the numbers reached 1,538,096 during the final year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the data, including the overall population growth and the shifting distribution across districts. However, the analysis is somewhat uneven. While the total population figures are mentioned, the specific trends for districts other than Manhattan are not sufficiently detailed; they are grouped together as 'the rest of the districts' without highlighting the individual growth patterns of areas like Queens or Brooklyn. The inclusion of 'Bronze' (likely a typo for Bronx) and 'New York Cities' (plural) indicates a lack of precision. To reach a higher band, you should provide a more balanced comparison of all districts rather than focusing primarily on Manhattan's decline.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on different data sets. Cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'Whereas', and 'Moreover' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of information is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where 'the figure demonstrates that the data was 1,850,093' lacks a clear subject. The use of 'Last but not least' is slightly informal for an academic report. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with attempts to use descriptive terms like 'sharp decline', 'plummeted', and 'transition'. However, there are issues with word choice and accuracy, such as 'figure of civilians' (which is not the most appropriate term for population data) and 'three quarters higher' (which is mathematically confusing in this context). There are also minor errors like 'Bronze' instead of 'Bronx' and the unnecessary pluralization of 'New York Cities'. A wider range of precise vocabulary related to data trends would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the percentage of the Manhattan city' (should be 'Manhattan's population percentage') and 'in other the districts'. Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure in the final paragraph is slightly awkward. The majority of sentences are understandable, but the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage will help improve accuracy.

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

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