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 tables compare the population of New York City as a whole and the distribution of its population between Manhattan and the other four districts in 1800, 1900 and 2000.
Overall, New York City’s population increased drastically, from just 79,216 in 1800 to over 8 million in 2000. At the same time, Manhattan’s city’s population plumed, while the other four districts population rose as well.
In 1800, Manhattan was home to 60,515 people, representing 76% of the city’s total population. The other districts accounted for only 18,701 people (24%). By 1900, the total population had risen to 3,437,202, with Manhattan containing 1,850,093 people (54%), compared with 1,587,109 (46%) in the other districts.
In 2000, The total population of new York city rose to over 8 millions people. However population of Manhattan plunged to 1,538,096 people, representing 19% of overall population. While other four cities population increased drastically to almost 6.5 million people, representing 81% of total population.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by successfully summarizing the main features of New York City's total population alongside the distribution between Manhattan and the other four districts across the three given years. An overview is present, highlighting the overall growth and the shifting population dynamics. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven; for instance, the statement that Manhattan's population 'plumed' (intended as plunged or plummeted) contains a factual inaccuracy for the century as a whole because Manhattan's population actually grew significantly between 1800 and 1900 before declining by 2000. This minor confusion keeps the task response at the present level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from an introductory overview to specific data points across the decades. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate time periods and thematic comparisons. Cohesive devices are generally well handled, such as using 'At the same time', 'By 1900', and 'However' to contrast trends. Referencing is mostly clear, though stepping into the next band would require even smoother transitions between the complex shifts of the districts and more sophisticated overarching connections.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'distribution', 'proportion', and 'plunged'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as writing 'plumed' instead of 'plunged' or 'plummeted', 'new York city' with lowercase letters, and 'millions people' instead of 'million people'. These spelling and word-form inaccuracies occasionally distract the reader, preventing the score from reaching a higher level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures. There are several grammatical errors present, such as subject-verb agreement issues in 'While other four cities population increased' (missing articles and possessive structure) and incorrect punctuation or capitalization in 'In 2000, The total population...'. However, these errors are not overly frequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the intended data points easily.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.