Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-26
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 illustrates the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables show the population change in the five districts of New York.
Overall, the total population increased by eighty times in the city. Manhattan constiuted the largest propotion of total population in 1800. However, only 19% of the total population was being contributed by Manhattan in 2000. On the other hand, all other districts saw an opposite trend. These 4 districts were compromising 81% of the total population in 2000 as compared to 24% in 1800.
In 1800, the total population of New York city was 79,216 of which 76% was being added by Manhattan and only 24% by rest of the districts. The population boomed over the next 200 years and increased by eighty times.
In 2000, New York was hosting almost 8,0009,185 residents. However, this time Manhattan was only contributing 19% of the total population,while the remaining four districts were making upto 81% of the total New York population.
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 covers all parts of the prompt well, providing an overview and supporting details from the tables. Key features such as the overall population increase and the shift in distribution from Manhattan to the other districts are highlighted. However, there are a few minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, the student writes '8,009,185' as '8,009,185' correctly in the final paragraph, but earlier there is a typo ('8,0009,185'). Additionally, stating the population 'increased by eighty times' is slightly imprecise since 79,216 multiplied by 80 is around 6.3 million, whereas it actually grew to over 8 million (roughly a hundredfold). Despite these minor numerical discrepancies, the main trends are adequately reported and supported.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs focusing on the historical and modern data. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is handled reasonably well, though some paragraphs are quite brief. Referencing is generally clear, though minor improvements in linking sentences could enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'constiuted', 'propotion', and 'contributing'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'constiuted' instead of 'constituted', 'propotion' instead of 'proportion', and 'compromising' instead of 'comprising'. These errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures (e.g., 'of which 76% was being added by Manhattan'). There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'was being contributed by' and 'making upto'. Punctuation is mostly acceptable, but spacing issues appear around commas and numbers (e.g., 'population,while'). The majority of simple sentences are clear, but control over complex passive forms is sometimes inconsistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.