Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-19

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 illustrate changes in total population of New York city between 1800 and 2000, while the second and third table gives information about population changes in its five districts, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island , over the same period0

Overall, the cumulative population of the New York city increased considerably through the centuries. Interestingly, the shares in total population of Manhattan is observed to steadily decreasing with time, while in contrast, the other four districts ratio in population is getting higher.

In 1800, the total population of New York was 79216 while Manhattan accounted for 76% of it and other districts had only 24% shares of the total population. In 1900, while Manhattan's population increased, its percentage in whole population declined to 54%. On other hand, Other districts ratio increased to 46%.

In 2000, the total population of New York city doubled to 8.01 million. Interestingly, Manhattan accounted for only 19% of the total population of the city. Conversely, other four districts percent surged to as high as 81% in total.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarising the overall population trends of New York City and providing specific data comparisons between Manhattan and the other four districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. An appropriate overview is included, highlighting the general upward trend in total population and the shifting proportional balance between Manhattan and the remaining districts. Key features, such as Manhattan's initial dominance in 1800 followed by its proportional decline, are accurately reported using data from the tables. The response is well-supported with relevant figures, meeting the requirements of Academic Task 1 effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised, following a clear chronological progression from 1800 to 2000, preceded by an introduction and a clear overview. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate time periods. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'in contrast', and 'conversely' are employed to establish comparisons effectively. However, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as using 'other districts ratio' and 'other four districts percent', which slightly disrupts the natural flow. Nevertheless, the overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, incorporating terms like 'cumulative population', 'considerably', and 'proportions'. Less common lexical items are attempted, though with some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'other districts ratio' instead of 'the ratio of other districts'. Spelling is generally accurate, with minor slips like 'illustrate' instead of 'illustrates' in the opening sentence. The vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the information clearly, though it lacks the flexibility and precision of a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using subordinate clauses introduced by 'while' and 'as'. However, there are notable grammatical errors, particularly subject-verb agreement issues in the opening sentence ('The first table illustrate...'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are stray marks or typos like the trailing zero at the end of the first paragraph ('period0'). Despite these errors, the majority of sentences are understandable, and they do not impede communication.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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