Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The first image illustrates the changes in the total population of New York city and this data is collected between 1800 to 2000. The other two pictures desplay the changes in population of five districts, of a city which are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten island during same period.
Overall, the population of New York city rose significantly from 1800 to 2000. Similarly, the population of all districts except Manhattan increased during same time frame. However, the population of Manhattan drastically decreased during same years.
The population of New York city were 79,216 in 18th century, which starts increasing and reached to 3,437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 in 2000. Similarly, the population of other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queen and Staten island, started from 18,701 (24%) in 1800 and shows a significant incline over centuries and reached to 6,471,089 (81%) in 2000.
In contrast, the population of Manhattan declined massively in terms of percentage, which was 76% in 1800 and decreased to 19% in 2000. Although, overall population in numbers flactuated within same period.
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 student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the total population data alongside a comparison of the districts, specifically Manhattan versus the other four districts. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the overall rising trend for the city and other districts, contrasted with the decline in Manhattan. Key figures, such as the total population in 1800 (79,216) and 2000 (8,009,185), along with percentages for Manhattan and other districts, are accurately cited from the visual data. The ideas are relevant and appropriately supported with data points, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 7 performance under this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized logically into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overview, followed by two body paragraphs detailing specific data points and contrasts. Cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'In contrast', and 'Although' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overall trends from specific district breakdowns. Progression is generally clear throughout, maintaining a coherent structure that satisfies the Band 6 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data reporting such as 'illustrates', 'desplay', 'population', 'percentage', and 'significantly'. There are attempts at less common lexical items ('drastically', 'flactuated', 'incline'), but these are accompanied by spelling errors ('desplay', 'Queen', 'flactuated') and minor word-choice inaccuracies. Nevertheless, the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features and comparisons clearly, aligning well with Band 6 criteria.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'The population of New York city were' (subject-verb agreement), 'between 1800 to 2000' (preposition pairing), and 'during same time frame' (missing articles). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these errors persist, they do not impede communication, placing the response solidly at Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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