Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given data in the first table illustrates the changes in the population of New York City from [redacted phone] and in the second and third tables describes the fluctuation in the public living in five districts of the town.

Overall, New York City experienced dramatic demographic expansion over the 200-year period. Furthermore, while Manhattan housed the vast majority of the city's total population in 1800, its dominance declined continuously over time as the remaining four districts grew to constitute the vast majority by 2000.

In 1800, New York City had a total population of 79,216. Manhattan was the dominant district, accommodating 60,515 residents with 76% of the total population constituted 76% of the overall total.

By 1900, the city's total population had increased drastically to over 3.4 million.By 2000, New York City reached a total population of 8,009,185. In stark contrast, the population in the other four districts surged to 6,471,089, comprising a overwhelming 81% majority of the city's residents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main trends and provides relevant data points to support the summary. You successfully identified the shift in population dominance from Manhattan to the other four districts. However, the report is incomplete as it fails to mention the data for the years 1950 or the specific figures for the individual districts other than Manhattan. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that all key features of the provided tables are represented, rather than skipping significant time intervals or grouping all other districts together without detail. The overview is clear, but the supporting body paragraphs require more comprehensive data coverage to fully satisfy the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'By 1900', and 'In stark contrast' to guide the reader through the timeline. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally mechanical. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and that the logical progression between sentences is smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of the data trends.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'demographic expansion', 'dominance', and 'surged'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'public living in five districts' (better: 'population residing in') and 'an overwhelming 81% majority' (the article 'an' is incorrect before 'overwhelming'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the precision is inconsistent. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and focusing on accurate collocations will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the subordinate clause in 'while Manhattan housed... its dominance declined'. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'constituted 76% of the overall total' following a previous clause, which creates a redundant verb structure. Additionally, there is a missing space after the period in '3.4 million.By 2000'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a greater variety of error-free complex structures to reach the higher bands.

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