Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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 the total increase in the population of New York City over 17th,18th and 19th century respectively.Similarly, second and third table give the same information about Manhattan and other districts but with additional coulmn to show their proportion in overall population.

Overall,there was a notable increase in the New York City with Manhattan sharing the largest proportion in years 1800 and 1900.But in 2000 other district took over Manhattan and share the lareger proportion in New York's Population.

New York's population increased most from years 1900 to 2000 then the years 1800 to 1900 as seen from the statistics there was approximately 4.5 million increase compared to just 3.3 million in 18th century.Manhattan shared the proportion of 76% and 54% of total population in year 1800 and 1900 respectively making it the largest among all other districts.

Nevertheless, till year 2000 other districts too their spot over Manhattan by a significant margin sharing the total percentage of 81% in the overall population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall pattern: New York City’s population rose substantially, and Manhattan’s share fell as the other districts became dominant by 2000. The figures you include for the city’s growth and Manhattan’s percentages are broadly consistent with the tables. This meets the task well, and the overview shows some comparison rather than simply listing data. However, coverage is uneven: the response gives little detail about the other districts’ population, and the 2000 figures for Manhattan and the combined districts are omitted. The claim that growth was greater from 1900 to 2000 is correct, but the comparison would be clearer with the actual totals or more precise increases. To strengthen the response further, report key figures across all three years and explain the shift in population distribution more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the population increase and the changing shares. This gives the reader a general route through the information, and transitions such as “Overall” and “Nevertheless” signal contrast. However, progression is not consistently clear. The first sentence refers to the “17th, 18th and 19th century,” which conflicts with the years in the tables, and the final paragraph repeats the shift to the other districts without adding much supporting detail. Some linking is mechanical, while missing spaces after full stops make sentence boundaries harder to follow. Group the data by time period or by population measure, and use references such as “this share” only when their meaning is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “overall population,” “increase,” and “significant margin,” which helps communicate the main comparisons. There is also an attempt to vary phrasing rather than repeat “population” throughout. However, several word-choice and spelling errors reduce precision, including “coulmn,” “lareger,” and “too their spot.” “Took over” is understandable but informal for an academic report, and “shared the proportion” is an unnatural collocation. The range is sufficient to convey the broad trends, but control of spelling and collocation is not yet consistent. Aim for precise reporting verbs and standard phrases such as “accounted for” or “represented,” and proofread carefully for misspellings.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast introduced by “but” and the clause beginning “as seen from the statistics.” The main message is generally understandable. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and several errors affect clarity: “over 17th,18th and 19th century” has incorrect time references and missing articles, while “Manhattan sharing the largest proportion” is an awkwardly formed clause. There are also problems with sentence boundaries and punctuation, such as the missing space after “respectively.” The sentence about the increase from 1900 to 2000 is difficult to parse because its clauses are joined without clear punctuation. Practise accurate articles, plural forms, and sentence boundaries, then check each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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