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 below show population changes in New York City and its districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the two century period from 1800 to 2000.

Clearly, the people living in New York City soared up dramatically in the past 200 years. Manhattan's population has declined in the from 1900 to 2000 but other districts collectively have seen an increase in their population drastically.

In 1800, the city had a total population of just 79,216, which then increased to 3,437,202 in 1900 and further soared to 8,009,185 in 2000.

In 1800, Manhattan alone amounted to 76% of the city's total population with over 60,000, then reached 1.85 million in 1900 but decreased in total population percentage with over half of the total and declined slightly in 2000 with just over 1.5 million resulting in its lowest population share with merely 19% of the city's total population.

In its other four districts, the city had only quarter of the total people from there with nearly 19000 people. Following the next century, people living there increased to 1,587,109 accounting for a little less than the total half of the city's total population. In 2000, the other 4 districts saw a massive population surge amounting to 81% of total population with an astounding number of 6,471,089 people residing there.

All in all, Manhattan used to be the go to place for people to live for the time period between 1800 to 1900, then from 1900 to 2000, other districts pulled ahead with nearly 4 times the population compared to Manhatten alone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task, providing a clear overview and selecting key data points from the tables. You successfully identified the main trend of population growth in NYC and the shift in distribution between Manhattan and the other four districts. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by some inaccuracies in data interpretation; for example, stating Manhattan's population 'declined' between 1900 and 2000 is technically correct, but the description of the other districts' growth could be more precise. The inclusion of specific figures supports your points well, and the overall summary is effective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the total population data from the district-specific data. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1800', 'Following the next century', and 'All in all' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the fifth paragraph ('people living there') could be more explicit to improve flow. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly, using terms like 'soared', 'amounted to', and 'surge'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'soared up' (redundant) and 'the go to place' (too informal for an academic report). Additionally, there is a minor spelling error ('Manhatten'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise academic collocations would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'the people living in New York City soared up' (the population soared, not the people) and 'amounting to 81% of total population' (missing an article). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are slightly clunky. The errors present do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more consistent control over complex structures.

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

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