Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-03

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 6.5)

The tables illustrate changes in the population of New york city as a whole and show how the population was distributed between manhattan and the other four districts from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of new york city increased dramatically over the 200 year period. while manhattan accounted for the vast majority of the city's population in 1800, its share declined considerably over time. in contrast, the other four districts experienced substantial growth and became home to the overwhelming majority of the population by2000.

in 1800, new york city,s total population stood at just 79,216, of whom 60,515(76%) lived in manhattan. The remaining four districts had only 18,701 people representing 24% of the total. by 1900, the city's population had surged to 3,437,202. manhattan's population had risensharply to 1,587,109 people, or 46% of the city's population.

by 2000, the total population had reached 8,009,185 interestingly. manhattan's population fell sightly to 1,538,096 reducing its share to only 19% in contrast, the population of the other districts soared to 6,471,089, accounting for 81% of the total.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively covers the main trends and provides a clear overview of the population changes. You successfully identified the key shift from Manhattan's dominance in 1800 to the growth of the other four districts by 2000. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between the two time periods is well-integrated. To reach a higher band, ensure that you include all relevant data points; while you mentioned the total population and the split between Manhattan and the other districts, you could have briefly touched upon the specific growth trajectory of the other districts more explicitly to provide a more comprehensive summary of the provided tables.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression. Cohesive devices such as 'in contrast,' 'while,' and 'by 2000' are used effectively to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly inconsistent due to the lack of capitalization at the start of sentences (e.g., 'in 1800,' 'by 2000') and some punctuation errors, such as the comma usage in '8,009,185 interestingly.' Improving the mechanical consistency of your paragraph structure and sentence starters would enhance the flow and readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surged,' 'soared,' and 'accounted for' to describe the data trends accurately. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'sightly' instead of 'slightly' and the failure to capitalize proper nouns like 'New York City' and 'Manhattan.' While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on consistent capitalization and proofreading for small spelling slips to ensure a more professional and precise tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses starting with 'while.' However, there are frequent errors in punctuation and capitalization, such as 'new york city,s' and the lack of capital letters at the beginning of sentences. These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the meaning remains clear, the lack of control over basic grammatical conventions like capitalization and punctuation limits the score. Increasing your attention to these fundamental aspects of English grammar will significantly improve your overall accuracy.

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