Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-24

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 6.5)

The tables compare the differences in the population of New York City as well as the variations in the proportion of Manhattan's and other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) population to the total in between 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the total population of New York City rose dramatically over the two centuries. Initially, Manhattan was accountable for around two-third and other four districts were responsible for one-third of the New York's population. Gradually, other districts overtook Manhattan in 2000 by a huge margin.

In 1800, the New York's population was 79,216 which increased by almost five folds in 1900. After a century, it climbed up to 8,009,185. Manhattan consisted of the majority of the people around 60,515 in 1800 which was 76% of the total. After that, although the number increased to 1,850,093 in 1900, its contribution to the total population fell to 54%. In 2000, the number reduced to 1,538,096 responsible for only 19% of the total population.

In the beginning, other four districts were responsible for only 24% of the total population. But in the next century, the figure rose from 18,701 to 1,587,109 and the proportion almost doubled. In 2000, the percentage increased to 81% and the figure jumped astonishingly to 6,471,089.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the population changes. You included relevant data points to support your descriptions, such as the shift in proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the task requires a comparison of all five districts. While you grouped the 'other four' together, the prompt provided data for each individual district. To reach a higher band, you should briefly mention the specific growth of individual districts like Brooklyn or Queens to provide a more comprehensive summary of the provided tables. Overall, the response is well-focused and covers the key features of the data effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information by time period and category. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you use cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Gradually', and 'In the beginning' to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general trends from the specific data analysis. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, 'other four districts' could be more smoothly integrated into the flow of the sentences to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'rose dramatically', 'overtook', and 'by a huge margin' are used effectively. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'accountable for' (which usually refers to being responsible for an action or mistake, rather than representing a portion of a total) and 'almost five folds' (which should be 'fivefold'). Using more precise terminology for statistical trends would enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your meaning is consistently clear. There are occasional grammatical errors, such as 'in between 1800 to 2000' (should be 'between 1800 and 2000') and 'the New York's population' (the article 'the' is unnecessary here). Additionally, 'responsible for' is used repeatedly. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching the higher bands where the majority of sentences should be error-free. Focusing on article usage and prepositional accuracy will help improve your score.

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

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