Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-16
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 displays the growth in the total population of New York City from the year 1800 to 2000. The second and the third tables represent variation in population of five different cities over the same period.
Regarding the first table, the population of New York City was just 80,000 in 1800, which inclined to more than 3,400,000 in the next century. In 2000, it reached around 8 million. Coming towards the second table, Manhattan (a city in New York) had 76% of the population with is 60,515 in 1800. Again in 1900, it had 51% of the New York's population, but it fell to only 19% in the year 2000.
Other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, contained only 24% of New York's population in 1800, however the numbers started booming in the coming century i.e. 1900 where the population grew to 1,587,089 which was about 50% of total population. It reached more than 6,000,000 in the 2000's.
Overall, New York's population had been growing drastically from 1800 to 2000. In contrast, Manhattan's population had declining over the period, as people are moving to other districts (Brooklyn, Queens, etc.) whose population is on a surge.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the data, including the total population growth and the shifting proportions of the five districts. However, the analysis is slightly unbalanced. While the total population and Manhattan's decline are noted, the specific data for the other four districts is grouped together too broadly, missing the opportunity to highlight the distinct growth patterns of individual districts like Brooklyn or Queens. The overview is present but could be more analytical regarding the trends. The data is generally accurate, though the description of the districts as 'cities' is technically incorrect in the context of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for the data, and a summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Regarding the first table', 'Coming towards the second table', and 'In contrast' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as referring to the districts as 'cities'. The progression of ideas is clear, but the link between the second and third tables could be more seamless to improve the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task. You use some effective descriptive terms like 'booming', 'drastically', and 'surge'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'inclined to' (which is not typically used for population growth) and 'the 2000's' (which is unnecessary punctuation). The repetition of 'population' is noticeable, and using 'cities' to describe the districts is a lexical inaccuracy. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Manhattan... had 76% of the population with is 60,515' (incorrect relative clause) and 'Manhattan's population had declining' (incorrect verb tense). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor slips throughout. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex sentences would improve this score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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