Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The first table illustrates changes in the overall 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 and Staten Island ) over the same period. Overall, the population of New York City dramatically surged. Although Manhattan initially accomodated the highest percentage of the city's residents, However its share plunged, while the share of residents living in other districts grew over time.

To begin with, in 1800 New York City had an overall population of only 79,216, which climbed to 3,437,202 by 1900 and further rose to 8,009,185 by 2000. Initially, Manhattan accomodated 76% of the city's population with 60,515 residents,whereas the other four districts compromised a share of 24% accomodating 18,701 residents. In addition, in 1900 when the overall population of New York increased the population of Manhattan climbed to 1,850,093. However, its share fell to 54%.In contrast , the population of other districts increased to 1,587,109 and so did their share at 46%.

Furthermore, in 2000 when the overall population of New York City was 8,009,185, the population of Manhattan plunged to 1,538,096 and its share dropped to 19%. Moreover, the population of other four districts stood at 6,471,089 and their proportion peaked at 81%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main changes and report the key figures accurately: the city’s population rises from 79,216 to 8,009,185, while Manhattan’s share falls from 76% to 19% and the other districts’ share grows to 81%. The overview identifies the central contrast, and the response compares both population totals and proportions across the three years. This is a solid account of the task. To make the summary more fully developed, clarify that Manhattan’s population itself first rose substantially by 1900 before declining by 2000, rather than relying mainly on the word “plunged” for the final change. Also avoid calling the four districts’ share “peaked” without indicating that 2000 is the final year shown. The response meets the task requirements; 30 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by chronological paragraphs covering 1800–1900 and then 2000. This makes the comparisons easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Initially,” “In contrast,” and “Furthermore” help signal shifts between the figures. The organisation is coherent, though the progression is somewhat mechanical because several transitions simply announce the next stage. Some punctuation around connectors also interrupts the flow, as in “However its share fell to 54%.In contrast ,”. Improve cohesion by attaching contrast markers to the sentence they connect and using references such as “this proportion” or “the latter” where the meaning remains clear. A more integrated comparison of Manhattan and the other districts would also strengthen progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “surged,” “climbed,” “fell,” “plunged,” and “proportion.” These choices help distinguish changes in totals from changes in population share, and the meaning remains clear throughout. There are, however, some inaccurate or awkward choices that limit precision: “compromised a share” does not mean constituted a share, and “accommodated” is not the natural verb for describing how many residents lived in a district. “Plunged” also overstates Manhattan’s population decline from 1900 to 2000, which was modest compared with its earlier growth. Check spelling and spacing in “accomodated” and “Brooklyn,Bronx.” More precise collocations and restrained trend language would make the vocabulary more natural and flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concessive opening (“Although Manhattan initially…”) and clauses introduced by “whereas” and “when.” Most relationships between the figures are understandable, and the response communicates its comparisons successfully. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. The opening sentence uses “Although” and then “However” to introduce the same contrast, leaving the construction awkward; use one or the other. In “when the overall population … increased the population of Manhattan climbed,” a comma is needed after the introductory clause. There are also missing spaces after full stops (“54%.In contrast”) and inconsistent spacing around parentheses and commas. Review sentence boundaries and punctuation, while continuing to use varied clause structures.

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