Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-30

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 population trend in New York City over the last two centuries. Whereas the second and third tables demonstrates the proportion of population in the five districts of the city over the same period of time.

Overall, the population in New York City has skyrocketed a hundredfold from 1800 to 2000. The population of Manhattan has dropped to about one-fourth of its original size, however, the population in other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) has rapidly grown gradually.

In 1800, there were only 79,216 residents in New York City, although, the numbers rose to 3,437,202 in 1900 before reaching a massive number of 8,009,185 in 2000.

Additionally, the majority of people in New York were living in Manhatten in 1800 at about 60,515 out of the total population with a enormous portion of 76%. Nonetheless, the proportion decreased to 54% in 1900 and fell even more to 19% in 2000. On the other hand, the combined population of other four districts was only 24% in the beginning and rose to a huge proportion of 81% in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well, successfully reporting the main trends and making relevant comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts over the 200-year span. An overview is present, highlighting the overall population surge in New York City and the shifting proportions of its regions. The data cited (such as 79,216 in 1800 and 8,009,185 in 2000, alongside percentage shifts) are accurate and grounded directly in the provided visual data. However, there is a minor contradiction in the overview paragraph where the writer states the population of Manhattan 'has dropped to about one-fourth of its original size', whereas the table shows it actually increased from 60,515 to 1,538,096 (though its percentage share dropped significantly). Despite this slight misinterpretation of absolute population numbers versus proportions, the key features are well reported, earning a solid Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is organized logically with a clear progression from an introduction and overview to specific body paragraphs detailing the total population and district breakdowns. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed to connect sentences and clauses, such as 'Whereas', 'Overall', 'Additionally', and 'On the other hand'. However, some cohesive devices and transitions are used slightly awkwardly or mechanically, such as 'although, the numbers rose' and 'rapidly grown gradually', which slightly disrupts the natural flow of information. Referencing is generally clear, and the overall structure meets the criteria for Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 7 due to clear logical organization.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying numerical data and trends. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items such as 'skyrocketed', 'proportion', and 'enormous portion'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'has rapidly grown gradually' (which contains contradictory adverbs) and a spelling error ('Manhatten' instead of Manhattan). Word choice is occasionally imprecise, as seen in the confusion regarding Manhattan's population size versus its percentage share. While the lexical range allows the message to be communicated clearly, these errors and limitations prevent the score from reaching the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and varied clause structures (e.g., 'Whereas the second and third tables demonstrates...', 'Although, the numbers rose...'). However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There is a subject-verb agreement error ('tables demonstrates') and punctuation/conjunction misuse ('In 1800... although, the numbers rose'). Additionally, some sentences are awkwardly joined or punctuated with commas before clauses where a different conjunction is needed. While these errors do not impede communication, their frequency places the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

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