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 tables provide information about changes in the population of New York City and the distribution of its population among Manhattan and the other four districts between 1800 and 2000

Overall, the population of New York City increased dramatically over the 200-year period. While Manhattan's share of the city's population declined considerably, the proportion living in the other four districts increased substantially .

In 1800,New York City had a total population of 79,216, of whom 60,515 lived in Manhattan. This meant that Manhattan accounted for 24% or 18701 people lived in the other four districts. By 1900, the city's population had risen sharply to [redacted phone]. Manhattan's population also increased to [redacted phone] ,although its share of the total population fell to 54%.

By 2000, the total population of New York City had increased further to [redacted phone]. however, Manhattan's population decreased slightly to [redacted phone],representing only 19% of the city's total. In contrast, the population of other four districts grew dramatically and their share increased to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main features of both the overall city population and the district breakdown. You selected relevant data points and made clear comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts across the years 1800, 1900, and 2000. However, some parts of your information delivery are slightly uneven; for instance, when discussing the 1800 figures, you miscalculated the proportion or data relationship ("This meant that Manhattan accounted for 24% or 18701 people lived in the other four districts"), where 24% actually belonged to the other districts rather than Manhattan. To reach a higher band, ensure data interpretation is completely precise without mathematical contradictions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

Your essay demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout the response. You make good use of paragraphing, with a clear introduction, an overall summary paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs handling the chronological progression of the data. Cohesive devices such as "Overall", "While", "By 1900", and "In contrast" are used effectively to guide the reader through the information. Progression is evident from the 19th to the 20th century. To move to a higher level of cohesion, ensure that transitional markers are used with absolute precision—for example, avoiding lowercase starts at the beginning of sentences and ensuring punctuation before transitional adverbs is accurate.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common items and descriptive phrases such as "increased dramatically", "declined considerably", and "proportion living in the other four districts". Your word choices generally convey the intended meaning without impeding communication. However, there are some minor mechanical errors in vocabulary presentation, such as spacing issues in numbers ("18701", "3437202") and occasional word choice slips in data interpretation. To achieve a higher band, incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated lexical items with flawless collocation and precise word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

Your response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and time markers effectively (e.g., "of whom 60,515 lived in Manhattan"). You demonstrate good control over past tense verbs required for historical data. However, there are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing spaces after commas (e.g., "1800,New York City"), a lowercase sentence start ("however, Manhattan's population"), and minor punctuation issues. While these errors rarely impede communication, they prevent the essay from achieving a higher rating. To improve, focus on eliminating punctuation slips and ensuring strict sentence-boundary accuracy.

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