Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-13

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 data shows variation in the total population of New York City five districts between 1800 to 2000.

Overall, Manhattan share of popuation declined sharply throughout the centuries. At the same time other districts saw a significant increase and took up 81% of the New York population by 2000.

Manhattan citizens numbers were at its peak during 1800 by sharing 76% of the New York population. However, it didn't last long as the percentage dropped to 54% in 1900 and ending the period with only 19% in 2000.

The other four districts were Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. These districts all combined had only 24% of the total no of individuals in New York in 1800. This changed, as then all these districts saw a rose in the number of their citizens and eventually shared 46% of the population in 1900 and furthur increased to 81% by 2000. Hence, the population of New York in 2000 was 8,009,185.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast accurately: Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19%, while the other four districts’ combined share rises from 24% to 81%. The overview also captures the broad shift in population distribution, and the final total for 2000 is correct. However, the account is less complete than it could be because it focuses mainly on percentages and gives little attention to the actual population figures or the overall growth from 79,216 in 1800 to over 8 million in 2000. The statement that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1800 is inaccurate: its population was highest in 1900, although its share was highest in 1800. Distinguish population totals from percentages and report the key changes more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing Manhattan and the other districts. This makes the main comparison easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “At the same time,” “However,” and “Hence” help connect ideas. Some connections are mechanical or unclear, though. “This changed, as then” is awkward, and “it didn’t last long” has an imprecise reference: it is not immediately clear whether “it” means Manhattan’s population or its share. The final sentence about the 2000 total feels added on rather than integrated into the comparison. Group the key figures more deliberately and use clear references to distinguish population numbers from percentages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing change, including “declined sharply,” “significant increase,” “dropped,” and “increased,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision. For example, “Manhattan citizens numbers” and “shared 81%” do not express the data naturally; the tables report population and population shares, not citizens sharing a total. There are also spelling errors in “popuation” and “furthur,” and informal shorthand such as “no of individuals” is unsuitable for this report. Use standard terms such as “population,” “accounted for,” and “proportion,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “However” and a clause beginning “as.” Most of the intended meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. The opening phrase “between 1800 to 2000” uses the wrong preposition pattern; write “between 1800 and 2000.” In “Manhattan share” and “Manhattan citizens numbers,” articles or possessive forms are missing, while “numbers were at its peak” has a subject–verb and pronoun-agreement problem. The sentence “This changed, as then…” is also poorly formed, and “saw a rose” uses an incorrect verb form. Aim for more controlled sentence patterns, checking agreement, articles, and verb forms while retaining some complex structures.

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