Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-11
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 following tables illustrate the population change of New York City from 1800 to 2000 while highlighting the population of 5 discricts of the city namely, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island in the same time period.
Overall, the population of New York City have been increased drastically in these 200 years. Furthermore, the population of Manhattan seems to be shifted towards others districts of the city over the past 200 years.
Detailed analysis of the tables showcase the large number of population incline in New York City as it skyrocketed from only 79,216 people in 1800 to 8,009,185 residents in 2000. During these past 200 years, Manhattan which was the most crouded district of New York City in 1800 occupying 76% of the total city population has slumped to only take up 19% of the city's total population.
On the other hand, other four districts have seen a significant incline in their population as there were only a total of 18,701 individuals living in 1800 which occupied only 24% of the total population of New York City but that have changed in 2000 as it reached 6,471,089 people occupying 81% of the total population.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response successfully identifies the main trends, such as the overall population growth and the shift in distribution from Manhattan to the other four districts. You have selected key data points to support your summary, such as the 1800 and 2000 figures and the percentage shifts. However, the report could be improved by providing more specific data for the intermediate years or highlighting the growth of individual districts like Queens or Brooklyn to provide a more comprehensive overview. The summary is accurate and addresses all parts of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', and 'During these past 200 years' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the general city-wide trend to the specific district-level changes. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the overview and the body paragraphs could be slightly smoother to enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision, using terms like 'skyrocketed', 'slumped', and 'incline'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'discricts' (spelling) and 'crouded' (spelling), and the phrase 'population incline' is slightly unnatural compared to 'population growth' or 'increase'. However, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication of the data presented in the tables.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'the population of New York City have been increased' (subject-verb agreement) and 'other four districts' (missing article 'the'). Additionally, 'that have changed' should be 'this had changed' to maintain consistent tense usage. While these errors are present, they do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the report.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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