Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29

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 table charts illustrate changes in population between 1800 and 2000,in New York and in it's several districts.

Commencing with the population of whole New York city. In 1800, population of the city was incredibly lower than recent centuries, accounting for 79,216. Whereas,it dramatically increased (more than 40 times) and touched the number of 3,437,202 by the year of 1900. Eventually, thorought that century population rose and doubled, amounting to 8,009,185.

Referring to each state,In Manhattan, population started rising unexpectedly, at the former year it stands at 60,515, but end of the given period it touched the number of 1,538,096. Alongside, percentage began decreasing due to the increased population in other states and lastly came to 19 percent from 76. However, the percentage of population rose steadly in other mentioned states: Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, between the given time span it witnessed the number of 6,471,089 (in 2000) from 18,701 (in 1800).

Overall, the population increased incredibly by the given time period in New York. Notably, percentage of it went down in Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main trends in the population data, including the overall growth of New York City and the shifting proportions in the districts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the total population and the shift in Manhattan, the data for the other four districts is grouped together in a way that obscures the individual trends shown in the tables. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific comparisons between the districts, such as highlighting which district saw the most significant growth or how the relative rankings changed over the two centuries. The overview is present but could be more detailed regarding the specific nature of the shifts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Commencing with', 'Whereas', and 'Overall'. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and punctuation errors, such as the comma splice in the first sentence and the inconsistent use of capitalization after periods. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when referring to 'other states' (the prompt refers to districts/boroughs, not states). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next would enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors. For example, using 'states' instead of 'districts' or 'boroughs' is factually inaccurate in this context. Phrases like 'incredibly lower' and 'touched the number of' are slightly unnatural. While you attempt to use some descriptive language, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic descriptors. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'surged', 'plummeted', or 'accounted for a significant proportion'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the population of whole New York city'), subject-verb agreement, and punctuation errors (e.g., 'it's' instead of 'its', and missing spaces after commas). The misuse of 'it's' (it is) instead of the possessive 'its' is a recurring error. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be highly beneficial.

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.