Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-29
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 6.5)
The first table compares the number of residents in New York City from period 1800 to 2000. The other tables compare the population of Manhattan and other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island).
Overall, it can be clearly seen that the populace of New York City has significantly increased over the period. The highest proportion of people were staying in Manhattan for most of the period. However, the percentage share of the number of residents of Manhattan steeply declined over hundreds of years, while the proportion of the population of other district rose dramatically.
In 1800, the population of New York City was 79,216, out of which 76% of the people stayed in Manhatten, with the remaining 24% in other districts. By 1900, the population of New York City became 3,437,202, leading to a 44 times increase. Manhattan was the greatest contributor to strength of the population in 1900, around 54%.
The number of residents in New York City increased sharply to 8,009,185, by 2000, manhatten being at 19% of the population and other districts at 81% of the population. There was a significant increase in the population of other disctricts from 46% in 1900 to 81% in 2000, making it the greatest contributor to the population.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview and selecting key data points to report and compare. The response correctly identifies the overall population growth of New York City and contrasts the shifting proportions between Manhattan and the other districts. Data points such as the total populations for 1800, 1900, and 2000 are cited accurately from the visual data, and percentage shares are appropriately contrasted. While some specific district figures are omitted, this is standard for a summary report. The trends are clearly explained and supported by appropriate figures, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 7 score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response exhibits clear logical organization and progression throughout. It opens with an introductory paragraph framing the visual data, followed by a well-defined overview paragraph. The body paragraphs are logically structured, moving chronologically through the data while contrasting Manhattan with the other districts. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'In 1800' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the information, although paragraphing could be slightly more balanced. Referencing is generally clear, resulting in a solid Band 7 performance.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, employing terms such as 'populace', 'proportion', 'steeply declined', and 'dramatically'. However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies, such as using 'strength of the population' rather than a more natural collocation, and a few spelling slips (e.g., 'manhatten', 'disctricts'). Less common vocabulary is attempted with some awareness of style, but occasional word choice errors prevent the score from reaching a higher band. Overall, the lexical range is sufficient to communicate the main features clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
A mix of simple and complex sentence structures is used throughout the response, including participial phrases such as 'manhatten being at 19% of the population'. There are some grammatical errors, such as missing capitalization ('manhatten'), spelling errors in district names, and minor awkwardness in clause structures (e.g., 'leading to a 44 times increase'). However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of simple sentences are accurate. This demonstrates the characteristics of a Band 6.5 performance.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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