Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The tables demonstrate the population of New York and its districts across years. Including all five districts of the city it recorded population of 79216 in 1800. Moreover the numbers increased highly in 1900 and 2000 as the population reached to [redacted phone] and [redacted phone] respectively.

The other 2 tables consists the breakdown of the population among Manhattan and other districts including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. In 1800 Manhattan had 60515, the 76% population of the whole city comparing with other districts reporting only 24% of the population. In 1900 Manhattan had [redacted phone] as 54% population of the whole city while other districts had 46% of the population. Manhattan had only 19% population of New York recorded in 2000 which was [redacted phone]. People tend to move to other districts becuase according to the table these districts recorded highest population of [redacted phone] claiming it to be 81% of the whole.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarising the overall population trends of New York City and providing a clear breakdown comparing Manhattan with the other four districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. Key data points are accurately reported, such as the total population growing from 79,216 to over 8 million, and the dramatic shift in percentage share from Manhattan to the other districts (79% to 19% for Manhattan). However, there is a minor transcription error in the final sentence where the total for the other districts is miscopied as 6,471,089 instead of referencing the correct proportion accurately, but overall the main features and comparisons are well covered. A clear overview is provided through the selection and reporting of these standout demographic shifts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into two main paragraphs, separating the general city population overview from the detailed district-by-district comparison. Cohesive devices and time markers such as 'In 1800', 'Moreover', and 'while' are used to connect ideas and guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. However, referencing can occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the transition between sentences in the second paragraph could be smoother. Overall, the logical progression is clear throughout the text, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0 range.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing statistical data and trends, including terms like 'breakdown', 'percentage', 'population', and 'districts'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary and comparative language ('highest population', 'comparing with'), but word choice and phrasing are occasionally awkward, such as 'across years' and 'recorded population of'. A notable typo occurs in the word 'becuase'. While communication is clear, the vocabulary remains somewhat repetitive and basic in places, limiting the score to a solid Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using subordinate clauses with 'as' and 'while'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation omissions throughout the text, including missing prepositions and articles (e.g., 'consists the breakdown', 'the 76% population', 'reached to'). Furthermore, a major typo appears in the final numerical transcription ('80091185' instead of '8,009,185'). While these errors do not severely impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the attainment of a higher band score, placing the grammar firmly in the Band 6 category.

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