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 in New York and its five districts-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island- in 1800, 1900 and 2000.

Overall, New York became more populated over the period. All districts experienced a rise in the total population, with other districts recording the most most significant growth and contributed the most in 2000.

In 1800, New York had 79,216 residents. In this, Manhattan accounted for 76% of the total population, with 60,515 inhabitants, while other districts constituted 18,701 people, at 24%. BY 1900, the total population in New York had grown significantly to 3,437,202, in which 1,587,109 residents were from Manhattan, 56% of the total population compared to 24% of other districts.

In 2000, New York became excessively populated, at 8,009,185. This occurred mainly due to a noticeable rise of 81% of the population in other districts, which was equal to 6,[redacted phone] residents. However, Manhattan accounted for the least share, at 19% with 1,538,096 residents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the data, including the total population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat limited. While you identify the growth, you could have provided more specific comparisons between the individual districts (e.g., the rapid rise of Brooklyn or Queens) rather than grouping them all as 'other districts'. The summary is accurate, but the lack of detail regarding the specific trends of the five individual districts prevents it from reaching a higher band. The overview is clear, but the supporting data could be more comprehensively integrated to highlight the most significant trends across the two centuries.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, moving chronologically from 1800 to 2000. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'By 1900', and 'However' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is appropriate, and each paragraph has a clear central topic. While the flow is generally smooth, some of the transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion of the argument. Overall, the structure is sound and supports the information presented.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'variations', 'accounted for', and 'constituted'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'excessively populated', which carries a negative connotation not intended by the data, and 'most most' (a repetition error). The use of 'other districts' is repetitive and lacks the precision needed to describe the specific data points provided in the tables. To improve, try to incorporate more varied reporting verbs and precise adjectives to describe the trends, such as 'surged', 'dwindled', or 'proportionate share'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as the punctuation error in 'districts-Manhattan' and the awkward phrasing 'in which 1,587,109 residents were from Manhattan'. Additionally, there is a numerical error in the transcription of the 2000 population for other districts ('6,471089' should be '6,471,089'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent punctuation and ensuring that complex sentence structures are grammatically sound will help improve your accuracy.

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

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