Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-24

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 given table compares changes in the complete population of New york city starting from 1800 to 2000.The second and last tables discribes changes in the population of total five districts of the city that [Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Qeens, Staten Island] over the same period of time.

To begin with, the first table mentions the years and number of population from year 1800 - 2000.It consists the population of New york city including all five districts. In 1800 the population was 79,216 following that, in the year 1900 the population spiked from 79,216 to 3,437,202 and in the year 2000 total population elevated from 3,437,202 to 8,009,186. Furthermore, the second table compares the population in Manhattan by numbers and also by percentage strating from the year 1800 to 2000 following that, In the year 1800 the population was 60,515 which is 76% of total population and after that, by the year 1900 population came to a total of 1,850,093 which is 54% of the total population and by the end of 2000 the population inclined to 1,538,096 which is 19% moreover, the other districts were on 18,701 in the year 1800 and by the year 2000 reached 6,471,089.

Overall, the population was on it's peak in the year 2000 which was 8,009,185 in the New york city as well as, the population was lowest in the year 1800 in all the districts except Manhattan and the population was 18,701.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the overall population changes and comparing Manhattan with the other districts from 1800 to 2000. Key data points, such as the total figures in 1800, 1900, and 2000, as well as the shifting percentages for Manhattan, are accurately cited and integrated into the response. For example, the writer notes that Manhattan dropped from 76% of the population in 1800 to 19% in 2000, while other districts surged to 81%. However, the overview at the end is slightly repetitive and could be more concise. Overall, the task is addressed well, with a clear focus on the key trends shown in the tables.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is generally coherent and follows a logical progression, starting with an introduction, moving into body details of the tables, and concluding with a summary. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as "To begin with," "following that," and "Furthermore." However, some cohesion is mechanical, and the punctuation around linking phrases is occasionally faulty, leading to run-on sentences (e.g., "...from 1800 to 2000.The second and last tables..."). Paragraphing is attempted, but the body paragraph becomes one very long block of text that would be more readable if divided into separate thematic sections.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, attempting less common items and numerical descriptions such as "spiked," "elevated," "inclined," and "percentage." However, there are some noticeable word choice errors and spelling slips, such as "New york city" (capitalisation error), "discribes" (misspelling of describes), "strating" (starting), and awkward collocations like "number of population." While communication is not impeded, these inaccuracies prevent the lexical score from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and multi-clause sentences. However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including comma splices, run-on sentences, and missing articles (e.g., "in the New york city"). For instance, the sentence starting with "Furthermore, the second table compares..." continues for several lines without appropriate full stops or semicolons, placing a heavy burden on the reader. The control of grammar is inconsistent, though simple structures are generally accurate.

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