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 first table presents changes in the population of New York City between 1800 and 2000 in numbers. The next table shows the number and percentage of the resident lived in Manhattan and the last table shows the same information about the rest of the four districts combined within the same period of time.
Overall, the total population of the city had increased significantly over the time. The largest number of residents lived in Manhattan in 1800. However, the proportion had decreased throughout the centuries.
In the year 1800, The population of New York was 79,216. Among Them, 76% people lived in Manhattan. The rest of the people lived in other four districts. In 1900 The population of the city significantly increased to 3,437,202, which is more than 4 times increase than previous century. In this time the portion of population lived in Manhattan was decreased to 54%. However, the number of residents of Manhattan increased from 60,515 to 1,850,093.
By the year 2000, despite the increase of population of New York City more than 2 times than previous century to 8,009,185, the percent of population living in Manhattan fallen to only 19%. 81% of the residents chose to live in the other 4 districts combined.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the population changes in New York City and its districts between 1800 and 2000. Data is accurately cited, such as the total population of 79,216 in 1800 rising to 8,009,185 in 2000, and the shifting percentages between Manhattan and the other districts. An overview is present in the second paragraph, highlighting the overall population increase and the decline in Manhattan's proportional share. However, the development of ideas could be slightly more extended in terms of comparative analysis to reach a higher band, but all core features are covered well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing the specific years. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'In the year 1800', 'However', and 'By the year 2000'. Paragraphing is appropriate, separating the introduction, overview, and specific temporal breakdowns. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly mechanical ('The next table...', 'the last table...'), which keeps the score at a solid Band 6.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'population', 'proportion', 'residents', and 'districts'. There are some awkward phrasings and word choice errors, such as 'the resident lived' instead of 'residents living', and 'more than 4 times increase' rather than 'a fourfold increase'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, but meaning remains clear throughout, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ('which is more than 4 times increase') and subordinate clauses introduced by 'despite'. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors, including missing articles ('In 1900 The population'), incorrect verb forms ('lived' instead of 'living', 'fallen' instead of 'had fallen' or 'fell'), and preposition issues. These errors occur regularly but do not impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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