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)
The given table illustrates the total number of population in the New york city and the other table shows the distribution of population among five districts which is Manhattan, Bronx, Queen and State Island from the year 1800 to 2000.
Overall, Manhattan had showed the highest proportion in the total population which is 76% and drastically decreased to 19% approximately. Meanwhile, other districts projected lowest number and then surge which is 24% and then rapidly surge upto 81% from the year 1800 to 2000 respectively.
To commence with, the total number of population in the year 1800 is 79,216 in which 76% is contributed by Manhattan whereas other areas had only about 24%. Furthermore, in the year 1900, the total strength of people is 3,437,202 from which manhattan accounts for 54%. Meanwhile other districts had only 46%. Atlast, the year 2000 showed drastic change in the population which is about 8,009,185 in which 19% consist only manhattan whereas 81% populations had from other 4 dictricts
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main trends, such as the total population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. You have omitted specific data for the individual districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) provided in the second table, grouping them collectively as 'other districts' throughout. While you identify the main features, the lack of detail regarding the individual growth of these districts limits the depth of your report. To improve, ensure you highlight key differences between the districts rather than just the binary comparison of Manhattan versus the rest.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', and 'Meanwhile' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel forced. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when referring to the 'other districts' as a single entity, which makes the progression of information feel slightly repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear transitions between the data points would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use terms like 'drastically decreased', 'surge', and 'total strength', which are acceptable but somewhat repetitive. There are also minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'total number of population' (which should be 'total population') and '4 dictricts' (spelling error). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and precise terminology related to data description, such as 'accounted for', 'experienced a significant decline', or 'constituted'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'Manhattan had showed' (incorrect tense), 'the year 1800 is 79,216' (should be 'was'), and '81% populations had from other 4 dictricts' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters for proper nouns like 'New York' and 'Manhattan' in some instances. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing historical data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.