Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-10

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 first table illustrates changes in the entire population of the newyork city between 1800 to 2000 whereas the second and third table gives information about change in population of five different districts of the city which includes ( manhattan, brooklyn, bronx, queens, staten island ).

Overall, In the year 2000, the total population of the city is recorded as the highest amongst rest of the years whereas 1800 accounted the least increase in population.

To begin with, manhattan itself accounted 76% of total poulation of the newyork city in 1800 with 60,515 people which gradually increased to 1,538,096 people in the year, 2000 with 19% increase in total population of the city. Furthermore, brooklyn, bronx, queens, staten islnad combinedly represented 24% of the total population of newyork with 18,701 people in 1800 which thereafter rose gradually to 46% and 81% between 1900 to 2000 with the population of 1,[redacted phone] to 6,471,089 respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall pattern: New York City’s population was highest in 2000, and Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share rose. You also include relevant figures for 1800 and 2000. However, the account is uneven: the total population figures from the first table are not reported, and the 1900 figures are largely omitted. The statement that Manhattan’s population “gradually increased” is inaccurate, since it rose to 1,850,093 in 1900 before declining to 1,538,096 in 2000. Also, 19% is its share of the city total, not an increase. To strengthen the response, compare all three years and distinguish population changes from percentage shares more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to details, and phrases such as “To begin with” and “Furthermore” help signal progression. The main comparisons are generally grouped by Manhattan and the other districts. However, the overview is brief and does not preview the key contrast between the city’s rapid overall growth and Manhattan’s later decline. The final sentence also compresses several years and figures into one long sequence, making the relationship between the 1900 and 2000 data less clear. Use separate, clearly ordered comparisons for each period, and ensure that linking phrases express the actual relationship between the figures rather than simply adding information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “total population,” “accounted,” “represented,” and “gradually,” and the intended meaning is usually understandable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing data: “least increase” refers to a change rather than the smallest population, “19% increase” confuses a share with growth, and “combinedly represented” is awkward. Spelling and presentation also need more control, as in “poulation,” “islnad,” and inconsistent capitalisation of place names. Aim for precise terms such as “population share,” “rose,” “fell,” and “accounted for,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrastive opening with “whereas” and a relative clause in “districts … which includes.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the second and third table gives” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “between 1800 to 2000” uses an incorrect preposition pattern. The sentence beginning “To begin with” also has an unclear construction around “in the year, 2000.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including unnecessary spaces before brackets and commas. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, standard time expressions such as “from … to …,” and shorter sentence structures that keep comparisons clear.

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