Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The first table summarizes the changes in total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The second and third table do the same for the five districts of the city over the same period.

Overall, the population of New York City increased significantly from 1800 to 2000 and same goes for the four of its districts except Manhattan whose population first increased and the started decreasing from 1900 to 2000. Throughout the whole period, the portion of Manhattan in the total population of New York City decreased drastically.

The population of New York City was around 79 thousands in 1800 and it increased more than three times till 1900. During 2000, the population of the city was more than double of its population during 1900 reaching above 8 millions.

The population of Manhattan was above 60 thousands making 76% of total population of New York City. The other four districts were making rest of 24% combined. The population of Manhattan increased from around 60 thousands to 1.8 millions while its share in total population of the city dropped to 54% during 1800 to 1900. From 1900 to 2000, its population dropped to around 1.5 million along with decline in its portion to 19% of the city population. The population of other four district increased to around 6.4 million making 81% of total till 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and highlighting key trends and comparisons from the tables. You selected the main features effectively, noting the overall population growth of New York City alongside the shifting dynamics of Manhattan versus the other four districts. Your overview captures the core trends well, such as Manhattan peaking around 1900 before declining in percentage terms. However, some data points contain minor generalisations or rounding issues, such as stating the population was 'around 79 thousands in 1800' (79,216) and 'more than three times till 1900' (3.4 million), which prevent the response from achieving a higher band. To reach a higher level, you could integrate more precise comparative data without cluttering the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall progression and logical arrangement, with information divided into appropriate paragraphs. You introduce the charts, provide a broad overview, detail the city-wide population, and then break down the district statistics. Cohesive devices are generally used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall,' 'Throughout the whole period,' and 'From 1900 to 2000.' However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical or slightly faulty, as seen in minor awkwardness with referencing and linking, such as 'and same goes for the four of its districts except Manhattan whose population first increased and the started decreasing.' Paragraphing is used adequately, but smoother transitions between the city-wide data and the district-specific data would enhance the logical flow and lift the cohesion to the next level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the statistical information clearly with words like 'summarizes,' 'significantly,' 'drastically,' and 'percentage.' You attempt less common vocabulary items such as 'proportion,' 'decline,' and 'share.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, form, and collocation, such as writing '79 thousands' instead of '79 thousand,' 'portion of Manhattan' instead of 'proportion' or 'share,' and 'the started decreasing' (typographical error for 'then'). Spelling and word choice errors do not impede communication, but to achieve a higher band, you need to use a wider range of less common lexical items with greater precision and stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and time markers effectively, such as 'except Manhattan whose population first increased' and 'The population of other four district increased to around 6.4 million making 81% of total till 2000.' There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present throughout the text, including missing pluralization in 'other four district,' missing articles ('the total population'), and tense/preposition inconsistencies. Punctuation is generally functional. Because the errors occur alongside some error-free sentences and do not impede communication, the grammar sits comfortably at this level. To improve, you should focus on eliminating minor slips in articles, plurals, and prepositions while increasing the variety of complex structures.

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