Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The first table describes changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables illustrate changes in the population of Manhattan and the other four districts over the same period.

Overall, it is clear that total population living in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island increased over the period. In contrast, people residing in Manhattan decreased. An upward trend is seen in population for all the five districts from 1800 to 2000.

To begin with, in 1800 total population of New york was 79,216 people and 60,515 were living in Manhattan which covered 76% of total population compared to 18,701 people in other districts with 24% of coverage. However, in 1900 population rose to 3,437,202 humans with 1,850,093 residing in Manhattan and 1,587,109 in other districts. Meanwhile, other districts covered 46% of total population and Manhattan accounted for 54%.

Turning to remaining data, in 2000 the population increased to 8,009,185 people and Manhattan covered just 19% of total population at 1,538,096 people whereas other districts covered 81% with 6,471,089 people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You report the main figures accurately, including the city’s growth from 79,216 to 8,009,185 and the changing shares of Manhattan and the other districts. The overview also identifies the key shift in population distribution: Manhattan’s share falls while the other districts’ share rises. However, the overview is partly unclear because it says people residing in Manhattan “decreased,” although this is true only between 1900 and 2000; across the full period, Manhattan’s population rose substantially from 60,515 to 1,538,096. The claim that population increased in “all the five districts” is not supported by the tables, which group the four other districts together. Clarify the distinction between population totals and percentages, and avoid claims the data cannot establish.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting the figures chronologically. Phrases such as “To begin with” and “Turning to remaining data” help signal progression, and the comparisons between Manhattan and the other districts are generally easy to follow. However, the overview’s contrast between population “increased” and “decreased” is confusing because it does not specify whether these are totals or shares. The final paragraph also repeats the same comparison pattern without adding much synthesis. Use more precise referencing—for example, distinguish Manhattan’s population total from its percentage of the city—and organise the body around the changing distribution as well as the dates.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for describing tables, and terms such as “accounted for,” “residing,” “population,” and “increased” communicate the data clearly. There is some variety in how you introduce comparisons, and the meaning remains accessible throughout. A few choices are less natural or precise for formal data reporting: “humans” is inappropriate for population figures, “covered 76%” suggests physical coverage rather than a population share, and “remaining data” is vague. “New york” also needs the proper spelling and capitalisation, “New York.” To strengthen the range and precision, use standard collocations such as “accounted for 76% of the total” and “the remaining figures,” while avoiding unnecessary synonyms for people.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “whereas” and “compared to,” and most sentences communicate the intended comparisons successfully. Some grammatical issues remain. In “in 1800 total population,” the article is missing; “the total population” is needed. The phrase “in population for all the five districts” is awkwardly structured, and “in 2000 the population increased” would be clearer with a reference point or a more precise subject. There are also punctuation and capitalisation slips, including the comma after introductory time phrases and the lowercase “new york.” Continue using complex comparisons, but check articles, sentence framing, and punctuation so that the relationships between figures are consistently clear.

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