Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-31
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 three tables illustrate a comparison of changes in the population of different districts of New York City in the United States between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, New York City experienced the highest population in the year 2000. Additionally, the other four districts recorded the lowest population in 1800, while Manhattan had the highest population in the same year. In contrast, the other four districts recorded the highest number of residents in 2000, whereas Manhattan recorded the lowest.
In New York City, the population was 79,216 in 1800, and it rose to 3,437,202 in 1900. Furthermore, in 2000, it recorded the highest number of citizens, at 8,009,185, compared with all the other given districts.
In Manhattan, the number of residents was 60,515, which accounted for almost 76% of the total population of New York City in 1800. Meanwhile, in the other four districts, the number of residents was only 18,701 in 1800, but it soared to 6,471,089 in 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main trends, such as the overall growth of New York City and the shift in population distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, the analysis is incomplete. While the prompt provides data for five specific districts, the response groups four of them together as 'the other four districts' throughout the text. This approach fails to report on the individual performance of districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, which is a key requirement of the task. By omitting these specific details, the response lacks the necessary depth and precision required for a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general city data from the district-specific data. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'Meanwhile' are used to link ideas effectively. However, the progression of information is somewhat limited by the decision to group the four districts together, which makes the comparison less nuanced. The flow is generally smooth, but the lack of detailed data points for each district makes the overall structure feel slightly underdeveloped.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some effective word choices such as 'soared', 'accounted for', and 'recorded'. There is a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a lack of more sophisticated or precise terminology that would elevate the response. The repetition of 'recorded' and 'population' throughout the text suggests a need for more varied synonyms to demonstrate a wider lexical range. The language used is accurate and does not impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and punctuation is used correctly. There are no significant errors that impede understanding. However, the grammatical range is somewhat restricted; the response relies heavily on straightforward sentence patterns. To achieve a higher band, the student should incorporate a greater variety of complex structures, such as relative clauses or participle phrases, to show more flexibility in their writing. Overall, the control of grammar is solid, but the range is limited.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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