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)

In the year 1800, the total population of New York City was 79,216, this number increased massively to be 3,437,202 in year 1900, and in the year 2000, it even rose to 8,000,185.

In the year 1800, Manhattan had a population of 60,515, which is slightly above 3/4 of the population. The rest 5 districts shared 24% percent of the city's population. In the next year, 1900, the population of Manhattan rose to 1,850,093, but the percentage this population covers in the reduced to 54%, which translates to the rise in population of the other 4 districts; Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. In the year 2000, New York City's population grew to a 8,009,185, with Manhattan poluation decreasing and that of the other 4 districts rose massively. So then, we have Manhattan's population only covering 19% of the city's population, and the remaining 4 districts covering 81% of the city's population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report the main population figures and identify the key shift in the city’s distribution: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other districts’ share rises to 81%. However, the overview is not clearly separated from the year-by-year details, and some comparisons are incomplete. For example, you say Manhattan’s population decreased by 2000 but do not give its 2000 figure, and the other districts’ substantial population growth is described only as “rose massively.” There is also a factual error in the opening: the 2000 total is 8,009,185, not 8,000,185. State the overall pattern explicitly, then support it with accurate figures for both Manhattan and the combined other districts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response follows a generally logical chronological order, moving from 1800 to 1900 and then 2000, and phrases such as “In the next year” and “In the year 2000” help signal progression. The contrast between Manhattan and the other districts is also understandable. However, the answer is presented as one paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly distinguished. Some links are mechanical or unclear: “So then” is conversational, while “which translates to the rise in population of the other 4 districts” does not clearly explain the relationship between a falling share and population growth. Use a brief overview paragraph followed by a paragraph comparing the figures, and make references between population totals and percentages more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “rose,” “decreasing,” and “covering,” so the main comparisons remain understandable. There are also attempts at more emphatic language, such as “increased massively,” though this is less precise and somewhat informal for an academic report. Several choices or forms weaken accuracy: “the rest 5 districts” is awkward, “the population this population covers” is unclear, and “poluation” is misspelled. “A 8,009,185” is also an unsuitable expression for a numerical total. Aim for precise reporting verbs and standard collocations, such as “accounted for,” “represented,” and “the remaining districts,” and proofread spelling and number expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce a mix of simple and longer sentences, including clauses with “which” and “but,” and the overall meaning is usually clear. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in longer constructions. In “the percentage this population covers in the reduced to 54%,” the clause is incomplete and the relationship between the percentage and the reduction is not grammatically expressed. “The other 4 districts rose massively” also makes the districts themselves the subject of a population increase; a clearer structure would be “the population of the other districts rose.” Articles and sentence phrasing are inconsistent in “grew to a 8,009,185.” Work on complete clause structure, article use, and choosing the correct grammatical subject when describing population changes.

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