Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-14

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 povided table illustrates New York city's poulation growth and residency distribution between manhattan and outer districts from 1800 to 2000.

overall, the city's total population exponential growth, while a massive demographic shift occured as Manhattan's initial dominance steadily gave way to the rapid expansion of the other four districts. In 1800, NYC's population stood at 79'216, with Manhattan hosting the vast majority at 76% (60'512) residents)' compared to just 24% (18'701) elsewhere. By 1900, the overall population skyrockted to overall 3.4 million; Manhattan's share fell to 54% (1,850,093), while the other districts surged to 46%. By 2000, the total population reached 8,00,918, but Manhattan's rsidency contracted to 1,538,096, dropping its share supply to 19%.

conversely, the other districts grew continously, peaking dramatically and commanding an overwhelming 81% majority of the city's total population, highlighting a complete reversal in residential distribution over two centuries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main trends: New York’s population rose substantially, Manhattan’s share declined, and the other districts became dominant by 2000. The comparisons across all three years are relevant, and most figures support your account. However, the 2000 total is misreported as “8,00,918” rather than 8,009,185, and the 1800 Manhattan figure is given as 60,512 instead of 60,515. The description of the other districts’ population growth is also not quantified, so this key change is less fully developed than the percentage comparison. The response is six words below the 150-word minimum. Check figures carefully and add a concise detail about the other districts’ population to complete the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence, moving from an introduction and overview to comparisons for 1800, 1900 and 2000, followed by a concluding contrast. Linking expressions such as “while,” “By 1900” and “conversely” help show relationships between the trends. However, the information is presented in one dense paragraph, which makes the stages harder to scan, and some connections are awkward or repetitive: “overall” appears twice in the 1900 sentence, while “conversely” introduces a point that could be integrated more smoothly with the preceding comparison. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and details, and make each transition clearly signal the time period or comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing change, including “demographic shift,” “dominance,” “surged” and “overwhelming majority.” These choices help convey the contrast between Manhattan and the other districts. Some attempts at more sophisticated wording are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “share supply” does not express the intended idea, and “peaking dramatically” is not a precise description of the other districts’ continuing growth. There are also spelling errors, including “povided,” “poulation,” “skyrockted,” “rsidency” and “continously.” These do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision. Prefer standard collocations such as “share of the population” and proofread carefully for spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview with “while” and comparisons introduced by “By 1900” and “By 2000.” The main trends remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. The overview needs a verb: “the city’s total population exponential growth” should be “the city’s total population grew exponentially.” The opening phrase “between Manhattan and outer districts” would be clearer with an article before “outer districts.” Punctuation and number formatting are also inconsistent, particularly in “60'512) residents)'” and “79'216.” These issues make some sentences less controlled. Check that each clause has a complete verb, and use consistent punctuation and standard comma-separated figures.

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