Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17

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 intial table illustrates the growth in the total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000, while the other two table compares the change in the population across the five districts of the city over the same timeline.

Overall, the population of New York CIty has increased gradually over the two centuries. In Manhattan, the number of population has flcuated, whereas the percentage of total population has significantly decreased over the period. In contrast, other district has experienced a notable growth in the population.

New York City's population was relatively small, at 79,216 in 1800. However, it increased dramatically over the following two centuries, reaching 3,437,202 in 1900 and 8,009,185 by 2000.

In Manhattan, the population stood at 60,515 during the 1800, accounting for 76% of the city's total population, while other district contained 18,701 representing only 24%. By 1900, the population of Manhattan had risen dramatically to 1,850,093, although it share fell to 54%, whereas the other reached increased substantially at 1,587,109, or 46%. By 2000, Manhattan's population declined slightly to 1,538,096 (19%), while the other districts surged to 6,471,089, representing 81% of the total.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the total population growth of New York City and providing a clear comparison between Manhattan and the other districts across the specified years (1800, 1900, and 2000). Key data points, such as the initial and final population figures and percentage shifts, are accurately selected and presented. An adequate overview is also provided at the beginning, noting the general upward trend for the city alongside the shifting population distribution between Manhattan and the outer districts. The response satisfies the requirements well without any notable omissions of main trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response exhibits a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Information is grouped sensibly into an introduction, an overview paragraph, a paragraph detailing overall population figures, and a detailed paragraph breaking down the districts. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'in contrast', 'however', and 'by 2000' are used effectively to connect ideas and signal time shifts. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct aspects of the visual data. The referencing and tracking of entities (Manhattan versus other districts) remain generally clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate and appropriate range of vocabulary for an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms such as 'illustrates', 'fluctuated', 'significantly decreased', 'notably growth' (which contains a minor grammatical slip), and 'surged'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some success, though there are a few word choice and collocation slips, such as 'number of population' instead of 'population size', and 'the other reached increased' which is awkward. Spelling is generally good, with only a few minor slips like 'intial' and 'flcuated'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the information clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using subordinate clauses ('while the other two table compares', 'although it share fell') reasonably well. However, there are several grammatical and mechanical errors present, including subject-verb agreement issues ('table compares'), article misuse ('the other district has experienced'), and minor morphological slips ('during the 1800', 'it share fell', 'the other reached increased'). Despite these errors, the sentence structures are varied enough, and the meaning is generally clear and not impeded.

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.