Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-19
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 tables provided illustrate how the population of New York city and its districts changed from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, the total population of New York increased significantly one hundred times from about 80,000 to more than 8,000,000. Manhattan, which was the biggest district at the start of the period with the portion of 76%, accounted for only one-fifth in 2000. The number of citizens living in other districts has risen by 57% throughout the period.
The population of New York City started off at the point of about 80,000 in 1800. The next century it rose rapidly more than 40 times to about 3,5 million of people, and in 2000 it went up about 2,5 times to more than 8 million of people. The population of its largest district - Manhattan - accounted for around 60 thousands of people, which was 76 % of total in 1800. Over the next 100 years, despite the absolute growth, its proportion went down dramatically to 54%, and till 2000 both population and portion fell to approximately 1,5 million and 19% respectively.
As regards other New York districts, their population rose steadily throughout the period. It started off at about 18,000 which accounted for 24% in 1800, than the percentage doubled in 1900 while the population grew by almost 100 times. Over the next ten decades the number of citizens in New York's districts despite Manhattan experienced the largest growth - it quadrupled, amounting to 6,5 million of citizens and the part of 81%, providing a significant increase in the total population of the city.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all parts of the task well. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the shifting proportions of Manhattan versus the other districts. The data is generally accurate and well-selected to support the summary. However, there is a minor inconsistency in the interpretation of the data regarding the 'other districts' growth, which could have been presented with more precision. Overall, the report is clear and provides a good overview of the provided tables, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'As regards', and 'despite', which help to link the information effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general trends from the specific district data. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the higher band levels.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for', 'rose steadily', and 'fell to approximately' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'the portion of 76%' (should be 'a proportion of') and '3,5 million of people' (the 'of' is unnecessary). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive structures when describing numerical changes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of relative clauses ('which was 76% of total'). While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, particularly with articles and prepositions, for example, 'at the point of about' and 'the part of 81%'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation errors, such as the use of commas in numbers (e.g., '3,5 million' should be '3.5 million' in English academic writing). These errors do not impede communication but prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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