Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-11

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 given tables compares the population of five districts within the New York city and the total population of New York city during the years 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of Manhattan has contirbuted the most to the total population from the years 1800 to 1900 while other districts have contributed the most to the total population in the year 2000.

To begin with, the Manhattan population remained dense and made 76 percent of the total population of New York which was recorded to be 79,216 individuals during the year 1800 in contrast to other districts which roughly contributed to about 24% of the total ( 60515 individuals).

In the year 1900, the total population of New York was [redacted phone] individuals which comprised of 54% of the population of Manhattan and an increased population of 46% of other districts.

In the year 2000, the total population of New York progressed to [redacted phone] individuals out of which other districts contributed the most making upto 81% of the total. On the other hand, the contribution of the Manhattan was declined to 19% only.

To conclude, Manhattan had denser population from the year 1800 to 1900 but suffered a considerable decline in the next year and reverse happened for the other districts which experienced an increase in population from 24% to 81% of the total.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main contrast clearly: Manhattan accounted for the largest share in 1800 and 1900, while the other districts dominated by 2000. It also reports the overall population totals and the key percentage changes, so the main features are addressed and supported with relevant figures. However, one important figure is misreported: the 18,701 population of the other districts in 1800 is given as 60,515, which is actually Manhattan’s population. The account also focuses more on percentage shares than on the districts’ changing population totals, and the final reference to Manhattan’s “decline” could specify that its population fell between 1900 and 2000. More precise checking and fuller comparison would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a clear sequence, moving from an overview to the three years in chronological order, and the final sentence reinforces the main contrast. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “To begin with,” “In the year 1900,” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the comparisons. The paragraphing is also appropriate for a short report. Some connections are less precise, however: “To conclude” introduces a repeated summary rather than a new conclusion, and “but suffered a considerable decline in the next year” is unclear because the decline occurred by 2000, not in the following year. More direct transitions and clearer references to the periods being compared would make the progression more fluent.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing population data, including “contributed,” “comprised,” “decline,” and “experienced an increase.” These choices help communicate the broad trends, and the meaning is generally clear. However, some expressions are imprecise or unnatural for this task: “remained dense” does not accurately describe a population share, “progressed” is an awkward choice for a population total, and “making upto” is informal and incorrectly formed. There are also spelling errors such as “contirbuted.” Aim for precise reporting verbs and standard collocations, and check spelling and word forms carefully. This would make the language more accurate and flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while,” “which,” and “out of which.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening has subject–verb disagreement in “tables compares,” and “which comprised of 54%” uses an incorrect verb pattern. The phrase “the contribution of the Manhattan was declined” also has an incorrect passive construction; use “Manhattan’s share declined” or “was reduced.” Articles and prepositions are sometimes awkward, as in “the population of the Manhattan” and “in the next year.” Greater control of agreement, verb patterns, and sentence phrasing would improve accuracy while retaining the range of structures attempted.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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