Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

Changes occured in the total population of New York city from 1800 to 2000 have been depicted in first table whereas second and third tables outlines the statistics of the individuals across five districts of the New York city including Manhattan, Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,Staten Island over the same period.

Overall, its evident that New York city accounted for highest population in 2000 as compared to other time periods. Meanwhile, second table illustrates that Manhattan had its most population in 1900. Moreover, other districts recorded highest figure in 2000.

Local residents of New York city rose from 1800 to 2000 where 1800 recorded lowest population size of 79216 followed by 1900 with figure [redacted phone]. Similarly, 2000 accounted for [redacted phone].

manhattan shared lowest figure in 1800 with 76% proportion of total population whereas 1900 hold highest population size of [redacted phone] with 54% of total population. Following this, 2000 accounted for [redacted phone] individuals with 19% of overall residents residing. Meanwhile, other districts showed lowest numbers in 1800 with 24% proportion of total population as compared to other time periods where 1900 accounted for [redacted phone] population and 2000 hold [redacted phone] inhabitants with 46% and 81% of total population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the total population growth and the trends across the five districts. The main features are identified, such as the overall growth and the shifting population distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing the data. The comparison between Manhattan and the 'other districts' is clear, but the report could be improved by grouping the data more effectively to highlight the contrast between the early 19th-century concentration in Manhattan and the later suburbanization. The overview is present but could be more analytical regarding the significant shift in proportions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific data sets. Cohesive devices such as 'meanwhile', 'moreover', and 'similarly' are used to link ideas, though some transitions feel slightly repetitive or forced. The progression of information is generally clear, moving from the total population to the specific district breakdown. However, the referencing is occasionally slightly confusing, particularly when discussing the 'other districts' as a collective group, which makes the flow of information less smooth than it could be. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different data sets.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe trends and figures clearly. There is an attempt to use specific terminology like 'proportion', 'inhabitants', and 'depicted'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'accounted for highest population' (should be 'the highest') and 'hold highest population size' (should be 'held'). The repetition of basic verbs like 'recorded' and 'accounted for' limits the sophistication of the response. A wider range of synonyms for 'increase' or 'growth' would improve the lexical variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('in first table', 'in 1800 recorded lowest population') and verb tense consistency ('Changes occured... have been depicted'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are missing spaces after commas (e.g., 'Brooklyn,Bronx,Queens,Staten Island'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The control over complex structures is inconsistent, and the student would benefit from more careful proofreading to address basic article and preposition errors.

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