Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-26
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 tables illustrate the changes in the population in five districts Manhattan,Brooklyn,Bonx,Queens and Staten Island of New York from [redacted phone].
Overall, there was rise in the population of New York over the period [redacted phone], where 76% of the people preferred living in Manhattan in the year 2000. Also, by the year 2000, 81% of the total population shifted to other four districts.
In the year 1800, the individuals living in New York were recorded as 79,216 , out of which the majority lived in Manhattan noted as 60,515 and only 18,701 in four districts. The year 1900 saw a huge rise in the residents which was 3,437,202 and 54% of them resided in Manhattan whereas 46% in other four cities.
By the year 2000, the population of New York climbed upto 8,009,185, which was highest in all three years. However, 6,471,089 people moved to other four districts and only 1,538,096 prefered living in Manhattan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main trends in the data, identifying the overall population growth and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other four districts. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the interpretation of the data. For instance, the claim that '76% of the people preferred living in Manhattan in the year 2000' contradicts the provided data, which shows a much lower percentage. Additionally, the statement that '81% of the total population shifted to other four districts' by 2000 is mathematically incorrect based on the figures provided. While the main features are identified, the misinterpretation of the data points limits the effectiveness of the summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, which provides a logical structure. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the year 1800', and 'By the year 2000' are used to guide the reader through the chronological progression. However, the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when comparing the 'other four districts' across different time periods. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the flow of information could be improved by better linking the specific data points to the broader trends described in the overview.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends such as 'huge rise' and 'climbed up to'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'other four cities' (the prompt refers to districts) and 'prefered' (spelling error). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, the student should focus on using more sophisticated synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and ensure that terminology matches the task prompt accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in five districts', 'in other four districts') and punctuation issues, such as missing spaces after commas (e.g., 'Manhattan,Brooklyn,Bonx'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. The control over complex structures is inconsistent, and the student should focus on improving sentence-level accuracy, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and articles in descriptive writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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