Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-28
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 tables reveal the information about the total population of New York City and compare the proportion of people live in five different cities in New York between 1800 and 2000.
At a glance, it is clear that the overall population increase considerably over the given period, whereas percentage of population in Manhattan district dramatically plummeted at the end.
Looking at the table in detail, 79,216 individuals lived in New York City in 1800. The figure gradually rose to 3,437,202 by 1900, before massive surge occurred. The population was more than 8,000,000 in 2000.
Regarding other information, 76% of total population chosen to live in Manhattan by 1800. The population proportion of Manhattan district experienced a dramatic fall and accounted for 19% of total population of New York City in 2000. Conversely, the population percentage of other four districts rose over the period. Only 24% people were live in these cities in 1800, but the share jumped at 81% by the end of the given timeframe.
Overall, although total population of New York City had increased, people's tendency to live in Manhattan had fallen gradually.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers the main features of the data well. You successfully identified the overall population growth and the significant shift in the distribution of residents from Manhattan to the other four districts. The inclusion of specific data points, such as the 79,216 population in 1800 and the 19% share for Manhattan in 2000, provides good support for your summary. However, the report could be improved by providing more specific comparisons between the other districts (e.g., noting that Queens or Staten Island saw the most significant growth) rather than grouping them all as 'other four districts'. This would provide a more comprehensive overview of the provided tables.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'At a glance', 'Looking at the table in detail', and 'Conversely', which help guide the reader. However, the transition between the total population data and the district percentage data could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences feel slightly disjointed due to minor grammatical issues, but the overall structure remains coherent and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'dramatically plummeted', 'massive surge', and 'given timeframe' are effective. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'proportion of people live' (should be 'living') and 'share jumped at' (should be 'jumped to'). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, there is room to increase the precision of your word choices to reach a higher band. Overall, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'overall population increase considerably' (should be 'increased'), 'percentage of population... plummeted' (missing article 'the'), and '24% people were live' (should be 'were living'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the data. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and verb tenses when describing historical data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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