Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-14
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 fist table illustrates the alterations in the overall population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The remaining two tables show the population change in the five districts of the city, namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, over the same period.
Overall, it can be seen that the alterations in the total population of NYC increased throughout the period, with Manhattan initially experiencing a greater change in the population among all five districts, and remaining four district overall made up to 81% of the total population change by the end.
The total population change rose from 79,216 to 8,009,185 people in 1800 and 2000 respectively.
Manhattan, in 1800, showed 76% of total population change, with 54% and 19% recorded in 1900 and 2000, respectively. The remaining four districts started off from 18,701 people, overall accounted for 24% of total population change, with 46% appeared in 1900 and 81% by the end of the period, comprising 6,471,089 people. The population of all four districts showed 1,538,096 people in 1900 which was roughly the same as recorded in 2000 in Manhattan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt by summarising the total population data for New York City and comparing the five districts across the years 1800 and 2000. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting that the total population increased and noting the shifting dominance between Manhattan and the remaining four districts. Key features are selected and reported, such as the overall rise from 79,216 to 8,009,185 people, and proportional changes like Manhattan holding 76% initially compared to the other four districts rising to 81% by the end. However, the data presentation occasionally becomes slightly confusing when discussing percentages of total population change versus actual population figures, keeping the response at a Band 6.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response has a clear overall arrangement and logical progression, divided appropriately into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific data points. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'in 1800', and 'The remaining four districts'. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical, such as the abrupt transition into the single-sentence third paragraph and awkward phrasing like 'remaining four district overall made up'. Paragraphing is utilized, though paragraph structures could be better integrated to enhance the flow of comparative information, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully employing terms like 'illustrates', 'alterations', 'overall population', and 'proportions' (implied). There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and phraseology, such as 'accounting for' and 'comprising'. However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies, such as the typo 'fist' instead of 'first', and slightly awkward lexical choices like 'alterations in the total population... increased' (populations grow or rise rather than alterations increasing). Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly, aligning with a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases effectively (e.g., 'Manhattan, in 1800, showed 76%...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout, such as 'remaining four district overall made up' (missing plural and article) and 'with 46% appeared in 1900'. Punctuation and prepositions also need tighter control in places. Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication, and the writer maintains a reasonable degree of accuracy across various sentence structures, justifying a Band 6.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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