Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
The first table illustrates changes in the overall population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. In addition, the second and third tables show changes in the population of the five districts of the city, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, over the same period.
Overall, New York City’s population increased dramatically between 1800 and 2000, reaching its highest level in 2000. Additionally, Manhattan accounted for the largest proportion of the city’s population in 1800, but this figure fell to its lowest level in 2000, while other districts accounted for the smallest proportion in 1800 and the largest in 2000.
New York City had the smallest population in 1800, 79,216 people, which increased significantly in 1900 to 3,437,202. Finally, it became the highest figure, 8,009,185, in 2000.
Furthermore, Manhattan accounted for 76% of New York City’s total population that is 60,515 in 1800, and this population fell to 54% that is 1,850,093 in 1900 and to just 19% that is 1,538,096 in 2000. In contrast, the combined population of other districts was 24% that is 18,701 of New York City’s population in 1800, and it increased dramatically to 46% that is 1,587,109 in 1900 and 81% that is 6,471,089 in 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered the overall population growth and the significant shift in the proportion of residents living in Manhattan versus the other districts. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between the years 1800, 1900, and 2000 is well-structured. To reach a higher band, ensure you explicitly mention all five districts by name at least once or group them more effectively, as the prompt asks for information regarding the five districts, and currently, you only focus on Manhattan and 'other districts'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Overall', 'Finally', and 'In contrast' to guide the reader through the data. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the total population to the specific district breakdown. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the general trends from the specific statistical details. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow could be slightly improved by varying the sentence structure to avoid repetitive phrasing when introducing statistics.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for the largest proportion', 'increased dramatically', and 'fell to its lowest level' are appropriate for a Task 1 report. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the more sophisticated, precise terminology that would elevate the response to a higher band. For example, instead of repeating 'population' and 'figure' multiple times, you could use synonyms like 'demographic', 'inhabitants', or 'total count' to show greater lexical flexibility.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, which ensures that the information is easy to follow. There are a few minor issues with punctuation and phrasing, such as 'that is 60,515', which is a bit clunky; using parentheses or commas would be more standard. While you have good control, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. Incorporating more varied subordinate clauses or passive constructions would improve the grammatical range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.