Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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 total population of New York City and five districts (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) during 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of New York increased drastically between these years. All district’s population inclined sharply. However, the proportion of Manhattan’s population declined with time, while other districts proportion rose sharply over the years.

The New York’s population was 79,216 in 1800 constituting of 76% proportion of Manhattan district, while other districts contributed only 24% share having 18,701 people. In 1900, The New York’s population increased more than 3 folds, reaching upto 3,437,202. However, Manhattan’s population increased but share declined and reached 54%. Meanwhile, other cities contributed 46%of total population with rising population.

Moving to 2000, the population of New York increased upto ten folds and reached 8,009,185. Population of Manhattan district had a fall and reached 1,538,096 contributing to only 19% of total population. While, there was huge growth in population in other districts marking 81% of total population of New York.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You give a clear overview of the main changes: the city’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share increased. The figures you include for 1800 and 2000, including Manhattan’s 1,538,096 residents and the other districts’ 81% share, match the tables. You also cover all three years and make relevant comparisons. To make the account more fully developed, report the actual 1900 and 2000 populations for the other districts, rather than saying only that their population rose. Also, “all district’s population inclined sharply” overgeneralises: Manhattan’s population fell between 1900 and 2000, even though its share declined across the full period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to the figures for 1800–1900 and then 2000. This gives the reader a logical progression, and signposts such as “Overall,” “In 1900,” and “Moving to 2000” help distinguish the stages. Comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts also support the organisation. Some links are less effective: “While” begins a sentence fragment-like contrast after the 2000 figures, and “Meanwhile” introduces a point that is not supported with a population figure. For stronger cohesion, connect related comparisons within complete sentences and use references such as “the remaining districts” consistently instead of shifting to “other cities.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “increased drastically,” “declined,” “contributed,” and “huge growth.” The meaning is generally clear, and terms such as “proportion” and “total population” suit the task. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this context: population “inclined” is not the usual collocation, “other cities” mislabels the districts, and “reached upto” is awkward. Repetition of “population” and “increased” also limits flexibility. Aim for precise, conventional trend language and vary expressions for shares and figures. This would make the report sound more natural while retaining the clear meaning already present.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple and more complex forms, including the contrast in “Manhattan’s population increased but share declined” and the participial phrase “constituting of 76% proportion.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “All district’s population” (number and possessive form), “The New York’s population” (article and possessive construction), and “46%of” (missing spacing). The sentence beginning “While, there was huge growth” is not well integrated with the preceding sentence, and “reaching upto” also shows an awkward grammatical pattern. Work on articles, plural forms, possessives, and complete sentence boundaries; more accurate control of these patterns would strengthen the range you are already attempting.

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