Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01

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 table illustrates the changes in the population of New York City between 1800 and 2000, and the second and third tables show the population in five districts of the city in the same period.

Overall, the population in the year 2000 is higher in comparison with the years 1900 and 1800 in New York City. The population in the other districts, like Manhattan, trended downward, while the opposite was true for the other four districts.

In 1800, New York population increased significantly and was approximately 79,216 people, before going up to 3,437,202 in 1900, and reaching to its peak at 8,009,185 in the final year. As Manhattan, it was the dominant district, accounting for 76% of total population. However, in the following years, it went down drastically to just 54% in 1900 and dropped to 19% in 2000.

Regarding the other districts, despite having the lowest population at the beginning of the period, they witnessed a significant change over the centuries. In 1900, the percentage of the population living in those areas doubled to 46%, which then reached to 81% of the total population in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, providing an overview and selecting key data from the tables, which places it at this level. The main features are reported, such as the overall growth of New York City's population and the shifting distribution between Manhattan and the other districts. However, some ideas are under-developed or imprecise; for instance, stating that 'In 1800, New York population increased significantly' confuses a static data point with growth over time. The overview correctly highlights the upward trajectory of the city's total population and the contrasting trend of Manhattan versus the other districts, but further extension and comparison of the data points would be needed to reach a higher standard.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear structure that includes an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific data. Information is logically grouped, with the first body paragraph focusing on the total population and Manhattan, and the second focusing on the other districts. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the transition 'As Manhattan, it was the dominant district' is awkward and impacts the natural flow of referencing. Additionally, paragraphing is used, but the logical progression within the paragraphs could be smoother to ensure seamless readability throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

An adequate range of vocabulary is employed for the task, successfully conveying numerical data and trends using terms such as 'dominant district,' 'account for,' and 'witnessed a significant change.' The writer attempts less common vocabulary, but some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing occur, such as 'trended downward, while the opposite was true for the other four districts' (where the contrast is slightly imprecise given Manhattan's actual population rise before its percentage fell) and 'reaching to its peak' (redundant use of 'to'). Spelling and word-choice errors are present, but they do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the intended meaning without difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures like 'despite having the lowest population at the beginning of the period.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('New York population' instead of 'New York's population'), awkward prepositional use ('reaching to its peak'), and minor structural awkwardness in introductory phrases ('As Manhattan, it was...'). Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication, and the majority of sentences are understandable, reflecting a solid control of basic grammatical patterns alongside developing complex forms.

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