Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-15

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 given tables illustrates the changes in the total population of New York City and it's five districts from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, an increase in the population of NYC is recorded over the period between 1800 and 2000. A notable increase is also seen in the total population of it's five districts over the same period.

In NYC, the total population was recorded as 76,216 in the year 1800, and it peaked at 8,009,185 in 2000. The five districts of the city also showed an increase in the population in the years between 1800 and 2000. Manhattan had 60,515 population, which covered 76% of total population in 1800. In 2000, it's population crossed 1.5 million in number, comprising only 16% of total population of the city.

Other districts (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) covered 24% of the population in 1800 and covered the highest population of 81% percent in the year 2000. That was the highest recorded population in comparision of Manhattan district.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the major shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts. The figures for Manhattan in 1800 and the other districts’ 2000 share are accurate, and you make a relevant comparison between them. However, the overview repeats the general increase without highlighting the key contrast: Manhattan’s population rose to a peak in 1900 and then fell by 2000, while the other districts grew substantially. There are also factual inaccuracies: the city had 79,216 people in 1800, not 76,216, and Manhattan accounted for 19%, not 16%, in 2000. The 1900 figures are omitted, leaving some important stages less fully reported. Correcting these details and comparing all three years would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs of supporting information. The sequence from the city total to Manhattan and then the other districts is easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In 2000” help signal the organisation. However, the overview is repetitive: it states twice that population increased, without setting out the more informative contrast between Manhattan and the other districts. Some references are also unclear, particularly “That was the highest recorded population,” which could refer to the 81% share or to a population count. Use more precise linking and comparison language, and organise the details by year or by district so the reader can track the changes more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “total population,” “comprising,” “covered” and “recorded,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is some repetition of “population” and “increase,” while a few choices are imprecise or unnatural for a table summary. For example, “peaked” is used for the city’s 2000 figure even though the table only shows three dates and Manhattan’s highest figure is in 1900; “crossed 1.5 million in number” is awkward; and “highest population of 81% percent” confuses a percentage share with a population count. Spelling errors such as “comparision” and the incorrect “it’s” for the possessive also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “accounted for” and “population share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex structures, including “Manhattan had 60,515 population, which covered 76%...” and the introductory clause “In NYC, the total population was recorded as...”. Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. The opening should be “The given tables illustrate,” because the plural subject requires a plural verb. In “Manhattan had 60,515 population,” the noun needs an article or a different construction, such as “Manhattan’s population was 60,515.” The possessive pronoun is “its,” not “it’s,” and “covered the highest population ... in comparision of” has an unclear grammatical relationship. Check agreement, articles and sentence patterns, while varying structures to express comparisons accurately.

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