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 first given table provides data on the variations in the average population and the second along with the third table dispalys information about the variations in the number of people living in five different districts of the New York City namely, Manhattean, Brooklyn, Boronx, Queens and Staten Island, over the period of 200 years from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, it is clear from the given data in the first table that the population of New York City including all major five districts in the 1900 surged almost 5 times more than it was in 1800, thus the number of people escalated from 79,216 to 3,437,202. This population boom further rose to a figure of 8,009,185 in 2000, which is almost 2.5 time more than it was in 1900.

Among the five districts, Manhattan had a considerable recession in population from 1800 to 1900 where the population decline from an overall 76% rise in 1800 to just 54% in 1900. Moreover, the number of people living there fell marginally from 1900 to 2000 with almost 19% of the overall increase. However, the proportion of population in other four districts surged significantly with 24% in 1800 to an explosion of people with 81% increase in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the overall population growth and comparing the districts, but some areas are under-developed or inaccurately interpreted. While the total population figures are reported well, the analysis of the district data confuses percentage shares with population changes, such as stating that Manhattan had a 'recession in population' from an 'overall 76% rise'. The student misinterprets the percentage data as rates of growth rather than proportions of the total population. An overview is present, but the flawed interpretation of the district percentages limits the development of key comparisons, placing this part of the response at a moderate level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph focusing on the districts. Logical progression is established through standard introductory and transitional phrases such as 'Overall, it is clear from the given data' and 'Among the five districts'. However, cohesion between sentences is sometimes mechanical or imprecise, particularly in the final paragraph where referencing the percentage figures becomes muddled. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overall trends from the district-specific details, fulfilling the requirements for this level while stopping short of more sophisticated cohesive management.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'surged', 'escalated', 'population boom', and 'proportion'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('dispalys', 'Manhattean', 'Boronx') and instances of imprecise word choice and collocation, such as referring to a demographic shift as a 'recession in population' or calling a proportion an 'increase'. These lexical inaccuracies and typos do not prevent the general meaning from coming across, but they restrict the score because precision in data reporting is lacking.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures effectively, as seen in 'which is almost 2.5 time more than it was in 1900'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as pluralisation and article issues ('the New York City', '2.5 time', 'the population decline' instead of 'declined'), as well as minor punctuation oversights. These errors are scattered throughout the text rather than concentrated, and they rarely impede communication, reflecting a typical performance at this level where control over simple structures is good while complex patterns still contain occasional flaws.

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