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 illustrate the variations in the total population of New York, and the population changes in five districts-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island of the city from 1800 to 2000.
Overall, the total population increased over the period in New York. All districts experienced an upward trend in the population, while other districts contributed the most by 2000.
In 1800, the total population in New York was 79,216. Manhattan contributed the most, at 60,515, was 76% of the total while other districts accounted for only 24% population. In 1900, New York showed a substantial rise to 3,437,202, but the contribution of other districts rose to 46% and that of Manhattan fell to 54%, although had the largest share.
In 2000, the total population climbed to 8,009,185. This results due to a noticeable surge in other districts, at 81%, representing the highest share whereas Manhattan recorded the least share at 19%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main trends and provides data to support the description. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the total population and the shift in proportions, you fail to provide specific data for the individual districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) other than grouping them as 'other districts'. The prompt explicitly asks to report on the five districts, and by aggregating them, you miss the opportunity to highlight the distinct growth patterns of specific areas like Brooklyn or Queens. To improve, you should select key data points for individual districts to provide a more comprehensive summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'In 1900', and 'whereas' are used to guide the reader through the timeline. However, the referencing is slightly repetitive, and the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, though the grouping of all districts into 'other' limits the depth of the logical flow regarding the specific data provided in the tables.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'variations', 'upward trend', 'substantial rise', and 'noticeable surge'. However, there is some repetition of basic structures and word choices, such as 'contributed the most' and 'share'. The use of 'other districts' is a lexical simplification that masks the specific data points. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise reporting verbs and nouns related to statistical trends, such as 'accounted for', 'constituted', or 'fluctuated', and avoid repeating the same phrasing for each time period.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'Manhattan contributed the most, at 60,515, was 76% of the total' (which is a run-on/fused sentence) and 'This results due to' (should be 'This resulted from'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a lack of full control over complex structures. To improve, focus on ensuring that relative clauses and participial phrases are correctly punctuated and that verb tenses are consistently applied when discussing historical data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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