Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-25
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 following tables shows variations in the overall population of New york city inculding five districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) in the period of 200 years.The number of people has increased by a great margin from 1800 to 2000, The total numbers in 2000 is approximately 11 times greater than that in 1800.
Two of the tables are specified to show population depending on the percentages of the people living there, Initially, Manhatten was the main centre for residents accumulating 76 percent of the total population of New york, but these figures declined overtime, resulting in 19 percent of the total population in 2000.
Whereas, the tabular data shows us a great increase in other districts over the period.The total population of these districts in 1800 roughly contained 24 percent of the overall numbers and a great increase in the population in these districts can be seen, resulting 81 percent of the population of New york by 2000.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The student successfully addresses the main task requirements by summarizing the overall population changes and comparing Manhattan with the other districts over the 200-year period. Key features, such as the total population growth from 79,216 in 1800 to over 8 million in 2000, are accurately reported. Furthermore, the significant demographic shift where Manhattan's share plummeted from 76% to 19% while other districts rose from 24% to 81% is clearly highlighted. The response features a well-defined overview and adequate data selection, meeting the Band 7 requirements for covering all parts of the task with clear comparisons, though some minor numerical approximations could be slightly more integrated.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introductory overview of the total population, followed by specific paragraphs detailing Manhattan and the other districts respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Whereas' and 'Initially' are employed to connect ideas effectively, although punctuation issues slightly disrupt the flow between sentences (e.g., comma splices like 'from 1800 to 2000, The total numbers'). Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow, satisfying the criteria for a Band 6.5 to 7.0, and fits best into Band 7 due to the clear logical progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student utilizes an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting less common items such as 'variations', 'accumulating', and 'demographic shifts' (implied). However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'total numbers' instead of 'total population' and minor spelling errors like 'Manhatten' and 'inculding'. Despite these lexical slips, the meaning is never impeded, and the vocabulary remains sufficient to allow flexible and precise reporting of the data, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases ('in the period of 200 years'). However, grammatical accuracy is hindered by frequent punctuation errors, notably comma splices (e.g., '...from 1800 to 2000, The total numbers...'). Capitalization errors also occur ('New york', 'Manhatten'). While complex structures are attempted, they are occasionally faulty, and the frequency of minor mechanical and structural errors places this response at a Band 6.0.
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