Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-16

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 three tables provide information about the changes in the total population of New York City and differences of population in five different districts which are between 1800 and 2000, over a period of 20 years.

Overall, it can be seen that, the total number of people living in the New York City increased gradually over years, while the figure plummetted in Manhattan, soaring the percentage for other districts.

In the beginning, in year 1800, there were in total 79,216 residents in New York and 76% of them were from Manhattan which was 60,515 in number. After 10 years, though the total population's increment was significant but the number of people living in Manhattan decreased to 54%, remaining the highest populated district as there were only 46% of citizens who were from the other locations. However, by 2000, the count plunged for Manhattan at 1,538,096 which was the 19% of the total, while it grew sharply by 35% for other places and reached 6,471,089. Meanwhile, the total population was in same pace and rose to 8,009,185 in number.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad trends: New York City’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share rose. You also include relevant figures for all three years. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear. The total population did not increase “gradually”: it rose from 79,216 to 3,437,202 by 1900 and then to 8,009,185. Manhattan’s population did not plunge overall; it increased greatly by 1900 before declining to 1,538,096 in 2000. The phrase “grew sharply by 35%” confuses the change in share (from 46% to 81%) with population growth. The overview and comparisons therefore only partly capture the main pattern. Distinguish population counts from percentages and describe the rise and later fall in Manhattan’s count accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph presenting figures chronologically. This makes the main direction of change reasonably easy to follow, and transitions such as “However” and “Meanwhile” help connect comparisons. Cohesion is less effective where the links between figures and claims are unclear. For example, “After 10 years” is inaccurate because the next data point is 1900, and “the total population was in same pace” does not clearly explain how the total relates to the district figures. The overview also combines Manhattan’s population count with its percentage share without clearly distinguishing them. Use year-based transitions and group the data around the contrasting trends—total growth, Manhattan’s rise then decline, and the other districts’ expansion—to make progression more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing change, including “increased,” “plummetted,” “soaring,” “decreased,” and “grew sharply.” These attempts help convey the broad trends, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this data. “Plummetted” suggests a steep fall, although Manhattan’s population first rose markedly before falling, while “soaring the percentage” is an awkward construction. “In the same pace” is also not a natural way to describe the total’s increase. In addition, “other locations” is less precise than “the other districts.” Choose verbs that match the specific measure and period, and use standard collocations such as “accounted for,” “rose to,” and “declined from … to …” to report figures more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrastive clause beginning “while” and a longer sentence using “though.” Most of the intended meaning can be understood, but some grammatical errors and awkward sentence patterns reduce precision. For example, “the total number of people … increased” is followed by “over years,” which needs an article or a more natural time phrase; “After 10 years” also misstates the interval. In “the count plunged for Manhattan at 1,538,096,” the sentence structure does not clearly express the figure, and “which was the 19%” uses an incorrect article and percentage construction. The sentence beginning “After 10 years” is also overloaded. Build shorter comparisons with accurate year references, and check articles and structures such as “accounted for 19% of the total.”

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