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 first table illustrates changes in the total population of New York City between 1800 and 2000. The second and third tables shows changes in the population of its five districts, namely Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, over the same period.

Overall, the total population of New York City increased dramatically between 1800 and 2000. While Manhattan's population rose sharply from 1800 to 1900 before declining slightly in 2000, the population of the other four districts continued to increase over the same period.

In 1800, the total population of New York City was 79,216, this figure increased dramatically significantly to 3,437,202 in 1900 and then increased further to 8,009,185 in 2000. In Manhattan, the population was 60,515 in 1800, accounting for 76% of the city's total population By the year of 1900, it had increased sharply to 1,850,093, although its share of the total population had fallen to 54%. However, the population had declined slightly to 1,538,096, while its share fell further to just 19%.

The population in the other districts namely Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, also changed considerably. In 1800, their combined population was 18,701, accounting for 24% of the total population. This figure increased substantially to 1,587,109 in 1900, representing 46% of the total. The population continued to rise and reached at 6,471,089 in 2000, while its share to the city's total population increased to 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main changes and provide a clear overview: the city grew substantially, Manhattan peaked in 1900 and then declined, while the other districts continued to expand. The figures and percentages you report match the tables, and you compare both population and share of the city total. This is a solid account, but some features are treated more fully than others: the overall city trend is stated with figures, while the overview could more explicitly highlight the striking shift in population distribution from Manhattan to the other districts. Also, the opening says the second and third tables show the five districts individually, whereas the data presented groups the four other districts together. A more precise overview and description of this grouping would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised clearly into an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. The progression from the city total to Manhattan and then the combined other districts is logical, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However” and “By the year of 1900” help guide the reader. The comparisons between population and percentage share are also easy to follow. To make cohesion more consistently effective, avoid occasional awkward transitions and ensure punctuation separates complete ideas: for example, the sentence beginning “In 1800, the total population…” joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Some repeated references to “the population” could also be varied or made more concise.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “increased dramatically,” “declined slightly,” “accounting for,” “representing” and “continued to rise.” These choices communicate the main changes clearly, and the language is generally appropriate to an academic report. There are occasional problems with collocation and precision, however. “Increased dramatically significantly” combines two intensifiers unnecessarily, while “reached at” and “its share to the city’s total population” are not natural expressions. The repeated use of “increased” and “population” also limits flexibility in places. Aim for accurate, concise trend language and check that prepositions fit the chosen phrase.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a useful mix of simple and complex sentences, including contrast clauses with “while” and “although,” and most of the data remains understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, which limits accuracy. In the introduction, “the second and third tables shows” has a subject–verb agreement error; it should be “show.” The sentence “In 1800, the total population … was 79,216, this figure increased…” is a comma splice and should be divided or joined with a suitable conjunction. There are also missing sentence boundaries after “population” and “54%,” and “By the year of 1900” uses an incorrect article/preposition pattern. More careful proofreading of agreement, sentence boundaries and grammatical patterns would improve control.

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