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 chart illustrates the population of New york city from 1800 to 2000.The next two table shows the changes in the five district of the city. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island.

Overall, in the year of 1800 the population was the lowest. the year of 1900 was the more the 1800 population. It was the middle level population. 2000 had a highest amount of the population.

Firstly, in 1800, New York City had a total population of just 79,216. Manhattan accounted for the dominant share at 76% (60,515 people), while the other districts made up the remaining 24% (18,701 people). By 1900, the city's overall population grew exponentially to nearly 3.44 million. During this time, Manhattan's population grew to over 1.85 million, but its proportion fell to 54%, while the other districts expanded significantly to represent 46% of the total.

sexondly, 2000, the total population surged to just over 8 million. Interestingly, Manhattan's population declined to approximately 1.54 million, constituting only 19% of the total. In stark contrast, the other four districts experienced a massive population boom, reaching nearly 6.47 million and accounting for the overwhelming majority at 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting data from the tables, including the total population changes and the breakdown between Manhattan and the other districts across the three given years. An overview is attempted, although the opening description of the trend in the second paragraph is somewhat simplistic and repetitive, stating that 1800 was the lowest and 2000 was the highest. Key features such as Manhattan's initial dominance and its subsequent decline in percentage terms compared to the rapid growth of the other districts are correctly identified and supported with accurate figures from the text. However, some ideas in the overview lack full development, placing this criterion at the targeted band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression from an introduction to an overview, followed by specific body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the time periods. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, particularly in the transitions between paragraphs where phrases like 'Firstly' and 'sexondly' are used awkwardly. Additionally, referencing could be improved; the connection between the opening introductory sentences is disjointed, with fragmented punctuation and sentences such as 'Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island' standing alone without proper syntactic integration.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response exhibits an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'dominant share,' 'exponentially,' 'proportion,' and 'overwhelming majority.' There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary with varying degrees of success. A few lexical and mechanical errors occur, such as the spelling error 'sexondly' instead of 'secondly,' and minor capitalization oversights like 'New york city.' These errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the intended meaning, which aligns with an adequate lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures successfully in sentences such as 'while the other districts made up the remaining 24%.' However, there are notable errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles and punctuation faults, such as ending the first sentence with a period before a continuation and floating district lists. Grammatical structures remain mostly clear, and while errors in punctuation and tense control persist, they rarely impede communication.

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