Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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 table details the population changes in New York and its districts ( Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island). from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, New York city's population soared over the two centuries. Manhattan's population share declined, while the others district's population and shared surged.

In 1800, the city 79,216 people. By 1900, this jumped to 3,437,202, and further to 8,009,185 in 2000.

Manhattan's held 60,515 residents (76% of the total) in 1800. By 1900 its population grew to 1,850,093 but its share dropped to 54%. By 2000, it fell to 1,538,096, making up nust 19% of the total.

The others districts had 18,701 people (24% of the total) in 18000. In 1900, their population reached 1,587,109 (46% of the total). By 2000, it soared to 6,471,089, accounting for 81% of the city's population.

In short New York cut's overall population expanded dramatically. Manhattan's demographic influence waned, while the other districts becomes far more popular and dominant in the city's makeup.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main trends accurately: the city’s population rose substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share increased. The overview is clear, and the figures for all three years are generally reported correctly, including Manhattan’s decline in population between 1900 and 2000. This covers the task well, with relevant comparisons. To make the account more fully developed, state the contrast between Manhattan and the other districts more precisely—for example, that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900, whereas the other districts continued growing through 2000. The final claim that the districts became “more popular” is not directly shown by population data; describe their growing population and share instead. There is also a small date typo in “18000.”

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a sensible overall structure: an introduction, a concise overview, and paragraphs presenting the city total and district figures. The sequence from 1800 to 2000 is easy to follow, and transitions such as “By 1900” and “By 2000” help guide the reader. This is a coherent arrangement, though some linking and referencing are less controlled. The final paragraph repeats the overview rather than adding a distinct comparison, and “the others districts” makes the reference unclear. The opening also has an unnecessary space before the parenthesis and a sentence break after “districts.” For stronger progression, keep the overview focused on the main contrast and use the final paragraph to synthesise the figures rather than restating it.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-relevant vocabulary, including “population share,” “accounting for,” “soared,” and “demographic influence.” These choices help describe change and comparison, and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, several inaccurate or awkward choices that limit precision: “shared surged” is not the right form, “more popular” suggests preference rather than population growth, and “cut’s” is an incorrect expression in the final sentence. “Nust” is also misspelled, while “the others districts” is an awkward phrase. Aim for precise demographic language and check spelling and word forms, especially when using less common expressions. The vocabulary is varied enough for the task, but not consistently natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including the comparison “By 1900 its population grew to … but its share dropped to 54%.” Most of the data remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. The opening fragment after “districts” should be joined to the preceding sentence, and “In 1800, the city 79,216 people” is missing a verb such as “had.” There are also errors in possessives and agreement: “Manhattan’s held” and “the other districts becomes.” The phrase “the others district’s population and shared surged” has problems with number and sentence structure. More consistent control of complete sentences, verb forms, and agreement would improve accuracy while preserving your useful range of structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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