Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-06

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 given table exemplifies the population of New York City and its districts that changed significantly from the years 1800 to 2000. The first table shows the population of New York including all five of its districts. However, the second and third tables present the population of the districts.

Overall, in the year 1800, the population of New York City was 79,216. However, in the year 1900, it increased to 3,437,202. The significant change in the population in over 100 years is quite prominent. Although in the year 2000, the population that was quoted was around 8,009,185. There was a rapid growth in the population of New York in over centuries.

The district Manhattan carried over 76% of the total population of New York City in 1800, which makes 60,515 numbers of people living in this district. In the years 1900 and 2000, the population increased to 1,850,093 and 1,538,096 which respectively makes around 54% and 19% of the population. Whereas, the other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island had less population as compared to Manhattan. In the year 1800, the population of the other districts was around 18,701 which makes around 24% of the population of New york. However, in the years 1900 and 2000, the other districts respectively had 1,587,109 and 6,471,089 numbers of people which makes 46% and 81% of the population of New York City. Hence, the Manhattan had more population than the other districts of New York City.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the given years. The overall trend of population growth in New York City is highlighted, alongside the shifting dynamics between Manhattan and the other four districts. However, some ideas and comparisons are slightly under-developed or repetitive, such as the second paragraph which tends to list numbers without fully extending the analysis. To reach a higher level, the response should integrate the data more fluidly and provide deeper insight into the shifting proportional share rather than simply restating the raw figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific data points. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overall trends from district-specific details. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, particularly in the heavy reliance on transitional phrases like 'However' and 'In the year'. Furthermore, referencing and logical progression could be smoother to avoid disjointed sentences and ensure a more cohesive flow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'exemplifies', 'prominent', and 'proportional share'. However, there are instances of awkward word choices and phrasing, such as '60,515 numbers of people' and 'the population that was quoted', which reflect a lack of precision. Spelling and word-choice errors are present, but they do not impede communication, allowing the reader to understand the data clearly. To improve, the writer should focus on natural collocations and more precise academic terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, showing the ability to handle relative clauses and comparative forms such as 'which makes around 54%' and 'as compared to Manhattan'. There are some grammatical and punctuation errors present, such as awkward phrasing in relative clauses and occasional article misuse, for example omitting articles before 'Manhattan' in the final sentence. Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the core meaning of the sentences to remain clear.

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