Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-15
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 given tables compare the total population of New York City and proportion of total population of five districts of New York City between 1800 and 2000.
Overall, it is clear that New York City saw a significant increase in its population that reached a peak in year 2000. The population of Manhattan declined over the years but other districts experienced the considerable rise.
The first table represents the overall population of New York City including its five districts. In 1800, the number of dwellers of New York City are 79,216. Over the next 200 years, New York City experienced the significant increase in its population. The number of citizens of city reached 8,009,185 in 2000.
Meanwhile, the other tables compare the rise in population between the districts of New York City. Manhattan District accounted the highest proportion of total population in 1800 that is 76%. However, over the next 200 years that percentage dropped significantly. In contrast, other districts population was increased gradually and in year 2000 it reached at its highest point which is 81% of total population of New York City.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student covers all key parts of the task by reporting the overall population changes from 1800 to 2000 and comparing Manhattan with the other districts over the same period. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main trends of overall growth and the shifting distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. Data is accurately cited from the tables, such as the total population reaching 8,009,185 in 2000 and Manhattan's proportion dropping from 76% in 1800 to 19% in 2000. While some minor details are omitted, the response fully addresses the requirements of an academic task 1 summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The response is logically organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a body paragraph on overall population, and a body paragraph on the district breakdown. Information and ideas progress logically throughout. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct aspects of the data. However, minor referencing issues, such as 'the other tables' (when there is only one table containing the district breakdown), slightly detract from the flow, placing it firmly at a band 7.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'proportion', 'considerable rise', and 'dropped significantly'. There are some successful less common items and accurate reporting verbs and phrases. However, there are minor lexical and collocational inaccuracies, such as 'number of dwellers' instead of 'population' or 'residents', 'accounted the highest proportion' missing the preposition 'for', and 'other districts population was increased' where passive voice is unnecessary. These errors do not impede communication, supporting a solid band 6.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and comparative forms. There are frequent error-free sentences, such as 'In 1800, the number of dwellers of New York City are 79,216' containing a subject-verb agreement error ('are' instead of 'were'). Other grammatical slips include tense inconsistencies ('was increased' instead of 'increased') and minor prepositional lapses. Despite these errors, the grammatical control is generally good, and meaning is never obscured, fitting the criteria for band 6.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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