Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-04

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 one illustrates variation in the total population of five districts in NYC over the period of three centuries, while the second and third table depicts the proportional change in each district.

Overall, the total population escalated significantly throughout the period. In addition, the population of all the districts experienced an exponential rise except Manhattan which initially showed a dramatic surge, followed by a substantial drop.

To begin with, the population of New York City rose considerably starting from only 79,216 individuals in 1800, followed by an increase of about 3 million in the next century and then another 5 million addition until 2000.

Moreover, in 1800, Manhattan contributed to 76% of the total population, which is visibly the highest contribution, followed by only 24% of the four other districts collectively. However, this proportion dropped to 54% in 1900, othr district's population rose to 46% in this century. On the other hand, the population of Manhattan in 2000 dropped to only 19%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the tables. An overview is successfully presented in the second paragraph, highlighting the general upward trajectory of the population and the specific trend for Manhattan. However, certain areas are more fully developed than others; for instance, the details regarding individual districts in the final paragraph are somewhat limited and end abruptly without fully synthesizing the data for the other four districts. The figures quoted, such as 79,216 in 1800 and 8,009,185 in 2000, are accurately drawn from the visual data, but the overall development lacks a complete finish.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction to the overview and body paragraphs. Information and ideas are generally linked together using cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', and 'Moreover'. However, some elements of cohesion are a bit mechanical, and referencing is not always clear, as seen in the slightly awkward transition and reference in the sentence 'othr district's population rose to 46%'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and specific details, contributing to an overall structure that is easy to follow despite minor rough edges in the linking.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'escalated significantly', 'exponential rise', and 'proportional change'. While these attempts show an awareness of academic style, there are some word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'othr' instead of 'other' and the minor phrasing issue in 'table one illustrates variation'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main trends clearly, and errors in spelling or word choice do not impede the overall flow of communication for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at varied structures such as relative clauses and participial phrases like 'starting from only 79,216 individuals in 1800, followed by an increase...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('the second and third table') and minor punctuation slips, but these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. Complex structures are generally controlled, though occasional minor slips prevent the grammar from reaching a higher level of sustained accuracy.

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