Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-18
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 tabular representations illustrates the information related to the changes in the overall population of new york city from 1800 to 2000. The second and third table depicts variations in population of five districts of the city over the same period.
Overall, the total population of New york city increased rapidly from 1900 to 2000. Population of Manhattan increased but percentage of total population decreased. Moreover, population increased dramatically in other four districts of new york.
In 1800, population of new york was 79,216 and reached 3,437,202 till 1900. Moreover, it had a sharp rise in 2000 and reached 8,009,185.
In 1800, 76% folks lived in Manhattan city where population was 60,515. However, till 2000 population increased and reached 1,538,096 but percentage of total population lived in this city decreased which became 19%.
In other districts(Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Stalen Island) poulation incresed significantly from 1800 to 2000. Furthermore, it was just 18,701 (24%) in 1800 and reached 6,471,089 in 2000. With this percentage of total population also increased and it is witnessed that till 2000 81% of people had their livelihood in these districts.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the overall population changes and the district breakdowns from 1800 to 2000. An overview is provided, noting the rapid increase in total population and the contrasting trends between Manhattan and the other districts. Key data points are selected and reported accurately, such as the initial and final populations and percentage shifts (e.g., Manhattan dropping from 76% to 19%). However, the overview could be slightly more integrated and there are minor data omissions, placing this response comfortably at Band 6.5 or 7.0. Given the clear coverage of the visual data and appropriate comparisons, it satisfies Band 7 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is arranged logically with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs addressing the overall population, Manhattan, and the other districts respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1800', and 'However' are used to signal progression and contrast. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different categories of information. However, some cohesive transitions feel slightly repetitive or mechanical (e.g., starting multiple paragraphs with 'In 1800'), which prevents the response from achieving a higher band. Overall, the logical organisation and progression are clear throughout, aligning well with Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with appropriate attempts at less common items such as 'tabular representations', 'variations', 'dramatically', and 'significantly'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('new york' uncapitalised, 'poulation', 'incresed', 'Stalen Island') and slightly unnatural phrasing such as 'folks lived in Manhattan city' and 'had their livelihood in these districts'. These word choice and spelling inaccuracies do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and coordinate structures successfully (e.g., 'where population was 60,515' and 'while percentage of total population... decreased'). There are several grammatical errors, particularly missing articles ('population of new york', 'percentage of total population') and punctuation slips. Nevertheless, the majority of simple sentences are accurate and the complex structures do not impede communication. This balanced profile matches the descriptors for Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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