Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The provided tables depicts changes in the overall population of New York and the specific districts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, bronx ,Queens and Staten between 1800 to 2000.
Overall, the total population of New York increased throughout the period just as in the other districts apart from Manhattan which had a drop.
In 1800, New York population for all the cities was at 79,216 whereby it rose dramatically to 3,437,202 in 1900 and it reached 8,009,185 in 2000.
In other districts, an upward trend was also experienced. In 1800, the population was 18,701 representing 24% of the entire population. This figure increased significantly to 1,587,109 at a proportion of 46% in 1900 before hitting its peak of 6,471,089 representing 81% of the total population. By contrast , Manhattan population decline thoughout the period. It stood at 60,515 a percentage of 76 in 1800. In 1900, the population was 1,850,093 which accounted for 54% and then dropped to 1,538,096 giving 19% of the total population in 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the contrasting decline in Manhattan. However, the analysis is somewhat unbalanced. While you mention the total population and Manhattan, you fail to provide specific data or trends for the other four districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island), grouping them vaguely as 'other districts'. To achieve a higher band, you must report on the specific data points provided in the tables for all categories mentioned in the prompt. The overview is present but lacks detail regarding the specific district dynamics.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In 1800', and 'By contrast' to signal transitions. However, the progression of ideas is slightly hindered by the lack of clarity in the 'other districts' section, where the data is presented without distinguishing between the individual boroughs. Referencing is occasionally mechanical, and the flow between the general population data and the district-specific data could be smoother to better highlight the comparisons requested in the prompt.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dramatically', 'upward trend', and 'accounted for'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'bronx' (which should be capitalized) and 'depicts' (which should be 'depict' to agree with the plural 'tables'). Additionally, the phrasing 'New York population for all the cities' is slightly unnatural, as these are districts within one city, not separate cities. Expanding your range to include more precise reporting verbs and comparative adjectives would improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The provided tables depicts') and missing prepositions or articles ('Manhattan population decline' instead of 'Manhattan's population declined'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and capitalization errors. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and punctuation would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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