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 the changes in total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. Another two tables show the changes in population in five distinct districts of the city ( Manhattan, Bronx, Queens , Staten Island ) over the same period.
Overall, population of New York city was 79,216 in 1800 which then drastically rose to 8,009,185 in 2000. Furthermore, Manhattan had the highest population in 1900 which then declined in numbers until 2000 while Other four districts combined saw increase in number of people in from 1900 to 2000.
Firstly, New York City saw the dramatic increase in population between 1800 to 2000. In 1800, there were only 79,216 citizens which drastically rose to 3,437,202 in 1900. Finally in 2000, the total population of New York City exponentially increased to 8,009,185. Manhattan was the most crowded of all the districts with 60,515 in 1800 which had 76% of total population of New york city. In 1900, it rose to 1,850,093 and 54%. Finally, saw a dramatic decline to 1,538,096 in 2000 to percentage of only 19% of total population.
Conversely, other districts (Broklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Isalnd) had only 18,701 people in 1800 measuring only 24% of total population. In 1900, it rose significantly to 1,587,109 in 1900 and was at 46%. Finally, in 2000, population drastically increased with 81% of total population and 6,471,089 in numbers
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 task well, providing data from all tables and making relevant comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts over the three given years. In the overview, the student correctly identifies the overall population growth and the shifting distribution between Manhattan and the combined other districts. However, there is a minor error in the overview regarding Manhattan's trajectory ('declined in numbers until 2000' whereas it actually grew between 1800 and 1900 before declining). Data is generally well reported, though the statement that the total population in 1900 was 3,437,202 (referring to NYC total) is slightly jumbled with the Manhattan data in the body paragraph. Overall, the response meets the requirements of Task Achievement well, earning a band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is logically organised with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on separate categories (Manhattan versus other districts). Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Conversely,' and 'Firstly,'. However, paragraphing could be tighter, and some linking is repetitive or slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition of ideas between sentences occasionally feels disjointed, particularly in the introduction of data points. Overall arrangement is coherent, earning a band 6.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a data task, successfully employing terms like 'drastically', 'exponentially', 'percentage', and 'crowded'. There are attempts at less common lexical items, though some collocations and word choices are slightly awkward or inaccurate, such as 'saw a dramatic decline ... to percentage of only 19%'. Spelling is mostly accurate with a few typos ('Broklyn', 'Isalnd'). The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main features clearly, aligning with band 6.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. There are instances of grammatical errors, particularly missing articles ('population of New York city', 'Finally, saw a dramatic decline') and awkward phrasing in complex structures. Punctuation errors are also present, such as unnecessary spaces before commas ('Queens , Staten Island'). Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, and the sentence structures demonstrate an acceptable range, supporting a band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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