Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-05

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 tables gives the information about total population of the New York City. The first table talks about all the population in New York City. While second and third tables provide the information about Manhattan district and other four districts respectively from the year 1800 to 2000. Overall, the population of New York City increased significantly over the years.

Looking first at, overall population of New York City, in the earliest 18th century population were quite low which was 79,216. In 19th century increased to nearly 3.5 million, and at last in 20th century secured at approximately 8 million.

Other two charts provide the data related to individual city population and also compare with the percentage of total population of New York City. In year 1800, the population of Manhatten city was 76% of total population which was 60,515. Whereas remaining 24% of total population distributed in different districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. In year 1900, 54% of total population situated in Manhattan, while remaning 46% spread in other cities which was slightly equal distribution. In the 20th century, the numbers changed drastically, the Manhatten city have only 19% of total population which was 1,538,096, in contrast other districts had 81% of total population which was highest as compare with the past years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the overall population growth and breaking down the data between Manhattan and the other districts from 1800 to 2000. An overview is provided, noting the significant increase in New York City's population. Key figures are accurately selected and cited, such as the initial population of 79,216 and the 2000 total of over 8 million. However, the response sits at this level because some parts of the data are treated more thoroughly than others, and there is a minor chronological inaccuracy when referring to the 'earliest 18th century' instead of the 19th century or the year 1800. To reach higher bands, the overview could be more fully integrated, and the relationships between the demographic shifts in Manhattan versus the other districts could be extended with deeper comparative analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the information logically. The writing is divided into an introduction, an overview, an analysis of the total population, and a breakdown of the districts. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Looking first at', 'Whereas', and 'In contrast'. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or somewhat repetitive, and paragraphing could be managed more effectively by separating the general trend from the specific district data more distinctly. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression between sentences occasionally falters, such as the abrupt transition into the second paragraph. To improve Coherence and Cohesion further, a wider variety of cohesive links should be employed smoothly without relying on formulaic transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey basic trends and figures effectively. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and task-specific terms, such as 'significantly', 'drastically', and 'distribution'. However, lexical control is limited, resulting in notable word choice errors and typos, such as spelling 'Manhattan' as 'Manhatten' and referring to the year 1800 as the '18th century'. Additionally, phrases like 'secured at approximately 8 million' demonstrate awkward collocation. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate greater precision in word choice, avoid repetitive phrasing, and eliminate spelling and morphological errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures such as 'which was highest as compare with the past years'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including missing articles ('The tables gives the information about total population'), incorrect prepositions ('in earliest 18th century'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('the Manhatten city have'). Punctuation and phrasing in complex sentences also occasionally cause slight strain. Because these errors do not severely impede communication, the writing meets the criteria for this band. To progress, the writer must improve control over articles, verb forms, and prepositional usage in complex syntactic patterns.

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