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 changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The other two tables depict the changes of the five districts of New York City Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island over the same period of time.
Overall, it can be seen that the population of New York City was lower in 1800 and got increased in 2000. When we talk about the districts, people tended to live in Manhattan in 1800 whereas, in the year 2000 most of the population shifted to the other four districts.
Firstly, the population of New York City was 79,216 in 1800. After that, population of the city incline dramatically and reached 3,437,202. Moreover, in the year 2000 it touched the 8,009,185.
Secondly, the second table shows that in 1800, 76% of the population lived in Manhattan district which reduced to 54% in 1900 and 19% in 2000. In comparison, the population of other districts was 24% and 18,701 in 1800. Furthermore, it rose significantly in 1900 and reached 46% and 1,587,109 and in 2000 it touched the 81% with the number of 6,471,089.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The student covers all parts of the task well, selecting and reporting the main features of the population changes in New York City and its districts from 1800 to 2000. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining the overall increase in total population and the significant demographic shift from Manhattan to the other four districts. Key figures, such as the 1800, 1900, and 2000 totals and percentages, are accurately cited from the visual data (e.g., Manhattan dropping from 76% to 19%). The response is well-grounded in the provided source material, though the reporting style is somewhat formulaic in places.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is clearly organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the overall population and the district breakdown. Cohesive devices are used to structure the text, such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In comparison'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'When we talk about the districts' or 'After that, population of the city incline dramatically'. Paragraphing is logical, and there is a clear progression of ideas throughout the report.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, incorporating terms such as 'illustrates', 'depict', 'demographic shift', and 'percentage'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'got increased' instead of 'increased' or 'grew', and 'population of the city incline' instead of 'inlined' or 'increased'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, and spelling is generally accurate despite minor grammatical infelicities associated with lexical choices.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as subordinate clauses ('When we talk about the districts, people tended to live...'). However, there are several grammatical errors regarding verb forms, tense consistency, and missing articles. Examples include 'population of the city incline' (tense/form error), 'reached the 8,009,185' (unnecessary article), and omitting the article before 'population' in 'After that, population of the city'. Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, and communication remains clear.
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