Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 data tables illustrate the variation in the population of New York City and its five districts of the city, namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of New York City increased over the past two centuries, while the proportion of the population of Manhattan decreased and the percentage of the four districs Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island increased .

The population of New York in 1800 was the lowest, 79,216, which rose to 3,437,202 in 1900, and then after that it boosted to 8,009,185, which was the highest population number.

The proportion of the total population in Manhattan was 76%, and its population were 60,515 in 1800 which was the highest percentage. In 1900 their population increased to 1,850,093 but the proportion of the total population decreased to 54%. In 2000, the population of Manhattan decreased to 1,538,096 and its proportion went down to 19%.

The population of other distrcts Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island in 1800 was 18,701, and its percentage population were 24%. In 1900, it rose to 1,587,109 and the proportion of the total population was 46%. In 2000, their population rose to 6,471,089 and their proportion of total population were 81% which was the highest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The candidate successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the overall population growth in New York City from 1800 to 2000, alongside the specific figures and proportional shifts for Manhattan and the other four districts. The overview effectively captures the primary trends: overall population increase, a declining proportion in Manhattan, and an increasing proportion in the remaining districts. Key data points from the visual sources are accurately cited and compared. The response is fully developed and well-grounded in the provided data. Therefore, it meets the requirements for a Band 7.0 under Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into five paragraphs, featuring a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs analysing the overall population and specific districts. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall,' 'In 1800,' 'In 1900,' and 'In 2000.' However, there is some minor mechanical repetition in sentence openings, such as starting multiple consecutive sentences with temporal markers ('In 1800,' 'In 1900,' 'In 2000'). Paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of information remains clear throughout. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptors; a score of 6.5 is awarded due to the somewhat repetitive structural transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate lexical range for the task, successfully employing terms such as 'variation,' 'proportion,' 'percentage,' and 'districts.' There are, however, some lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'districs' instead of 'districts' and 'distrcts.' Additionally, phrasal phrasing is sometimes slightly unnatural, as seen in 'boosted to 8,009,185, which was the highest population number.' While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main trends clearly, the presence of spelling mistakes and awkward collocations prevents a higher score. It satisfies the criteria for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses ('which was the highest population number') and subordinate clauses. There are, however, several grammatical errors and agreement issues, such as 'its population were 60,515' and 'their proportion of total population were 81%,' where subject-verb agreement is faulty. Punctuation also suffers from minor flaws, such as a stray space before the final period in the second paragraph. Despite these errors, communication is rarely impeded, supporting a solid Band 6.0.

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

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