Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
There are three different tables displays the data on population changes in New York and five cities from 1800 to 2000.
The first table contains data on New York; the second on the city of Manhattan, and the third table shows the population of four different districts in New York.
In New York, the total population among all five districts was 79,217 in 1800, which rose to 3,437,202 in the following century, and by 2000 reached 8,009,185.
The second table contains data on Manhattan; the population count starts at 60,515 in 1800 and holds 76% of the total population, which drastically fell at 54% in the following year and 19% by 2000, with a population count at 1,538,096.
In contrast, if we look at the third table, the overall population of the four districts together was just 24% in the year 1800, which is 52% lower than Manhattan; however, it kept on increasing significantly and reached at 46% by 1900 and 81% in 2000, with a population count of 1,587,109 and 6,471,089, respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the population changes in New York City and its constituent districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. The student provides specific figures from the tables, such as the total population growing from 79,217 to over 8 million, and accurately reports percentage shares for Manhattan and the other districts. An overview is present, and comparisons are made effectively, such as contrasting Manhattan's declining share with the growth in the other districts. There are a couple of minor numerical slips (e.g., stating the total population in 1800 was 79,217 instead of 79,216, and minor confusions with years), but these do not detract from a well-developed and accurate summary of the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response features a clear logical organization with a conventional introduction and paragraphing structure dedicated to each table or comparison. Cohesive devices such as 'In New York', 'In the second table', 'In contrast', and 'respectively' are used to guide the reader through the data. Progression is maintained throughout the essay. However, referencing can occasionally feel slightly formulaic or repetitive (e.g., repeatedly opening sentences with 'The [nth] table contains data on...'). Paragraphing is used sufficiently, resulting in a cohesive overall arrangement that meets the criteria for Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'population count', 'drastically fell', 'percentage', and 'overall population'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some awkward collocations or word choices occur, such as 'holds 76% of the total population' or 'drastically fell at 54%' instead of 'fell to'. Spelling is accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient for precision, though occasionally limited in stylistic flexibility.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and contrasting conjunctions (e.g., 'which rose to...', 'if we look at the third table, the overall population...'). There are some grammatical errors, particularly with prepositions and verb forms, such as 'displays' instead of 'display' in the opening sentence, 'fell at 54%' instead of 'fell to', and 'reached at 46%' instead of 'reached 46%'. Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication, and the sentence structures remain reasonably varied.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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