Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-30

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 illustrates the varying overall population of New York city along with five other districts of the city from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of New York city along with other four cities is highest in the year 2000 whereas Manhattan's citizenry peaked during 1900.

In 1800, population of New York was 79,126 among which 76% of them were in Manhattan i.e 60,515 and remaining 24% i.e 18,701 in other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island). The number of people residing in the city during 1900 was 3,437,202 which increased significantly since 1800. 54% were in Manhattan with population of 1,850,093 and 46% i.e 1,587,109 were in remaining districts.

In 2000, populace of New York was 8,009,185 , among which only 19% of them i.e 1,538,096 were in Manhattan whereas 81% i.e 6,471,089 in other districts. The highest percentage of total population in Manhattan was in 1800 with 76% which gradually decreased reaching 19% in 2000. Similarly, the percentage of population in other districts was 24% during 1800 which increased in the year 2000 reaching 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the population changes. You selected key data points to support your description, such as the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the response could be improved by providing a more detailed comparison of the individual districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) rather than grouping them together as 'other districts' throughout the report. While you highlighted the main features, a more granular analysis of the specific growth patterns of these districts would have provided a more comprehensive summary of the provided tables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression. You use cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'similarly', and 'among which' to link ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more varied to avoid repetitive sentence structures. Overall, the information is easy to follow, and the progression of ideas is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'citizenry', 'populace', and 'residing' appropriately. There is some repetition of basic structures and phrases, such as 'percentage of population'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. While your word choice is generally accurate and does not impede communication, it lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for a higher band score. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and descriptive adjectives would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of relative clauses ('among which 76% of them were in Manhattan'). There are some minor grammatical errors, such as 'population of New York city along with other four cities' (should be 'the other four') and 'populace of New York was 8,009,185' (missing article). Punctuation is generally correct, though there are some inconsistent spaces before commas. The errors present do not impede communication, but they do limit the score as they occur with some frequency.

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

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