Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28
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 variation in the number of individuals living in New York City between 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables demonstrates changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the exact time period.
Overall, the total population of new york was lowest in 1800, and by the year 2000 the population has boomed to the highest. Meanwhile in 1800 manhattan has the highest proportion of citizens living there as compared to other districts, the percentage of people spending their lives in manhattan decreased in the year 2000, while the other districts faces a huge rise up.
The amount of people in new york was 79216 in 1800 as well as [redacted phone] in 1900 and it face a huge rise in 2000 with [redacted phone] people living there.
In 1800 76% of the new york residents use to live in manhattan as compared to 24% in other districs, followed by 54% in manhattan in1900 and 46% in others, in contrast, by 2000 only 19% live in manhattan as compared to 81% in other districts.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response covers all parts of the task well, successfully reporting the main features of the population changes in New York City and its districts from 1800 to 2000. Data is accurately cited from the tables, such as the overall population growth from 79,216 to 8,009,185, and the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. An overview is presented in the second paragraph, highlighting the general upward trend in total population and the inversion of population shares between Manhattan and the other regions. However, the development of some ideas lacks depth, and the summary is somewhat descriptive rather than deeply analytical. The task is nonetheless fully addressed, earning a Band 6.5 to 7.0; here, it meets the criteria for Band 7 by addressing all parts and presenting a clear overview.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text has a clear overall progression, moving logically from an introduction and overview to specific details on total population, and finally to district-level percentage comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the data. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', and 'in contrast', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of internal cohesion within sentences occasionally makes the reading experience slightly disjointed. Overall, the organization is logical and easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'variation', 'proportion', and 'boomed'. However, there are noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as capitalization errors ('new york', 'manhattan', 'districs') and awkward collocations like 'faces a huge rise up' instead of 'experienced a substantial increase'. While the writer attempts less common vocabulary, inaccuracies in word choice and spelling persist. These do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the introductory complex sentence and comparative structures like 'as compared to other districts'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding tense consistency and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'tables demonstrates', 'other districts faces', 'residents use to live'). Punctuation is also weak, with missing commas in long clauses and a lack of capitalization for proper nouns. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they restrict the grammar score to Band 5.5, as error-free sentences are not in the majority.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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