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 three tables illustrates the changes in total population from year 1800 to 2000.First table records the polpulation changes in New York(all five districts). Second table then illustrate changes in population in just Manhattan and percentage of it that accounts for total population of New York city. Similarly, last table illustrates changes in popultaion in rest for districts i.e. Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island and what peercentage if it accounts for in total population.

Overall, Population has shown rise over the years in New York City.Manhattan used to accounts for largest share of total population in 1800 which than changed to other four districts in 2000.

New york city recorded 79,216 population in 1800 which then increaded from ten thousands to one millions. In 2000, it recorded 8,009,185.

Looking into which District made more contribution to population, Manhattan was the biggest contributor. In 1800, Manhattan made 75% contribution to population growth which fell to 19% by 2000. Initially, the rest of the four districts just accounted for 24% of population in 1800 which surged up to 81% by 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall changes: New York City’s population grew substantially, and Manhattan’s share fell while the other districts’ share rose. The overview captures the shift in which group accounted for most residents by 2000. You also include relevant figures for the city total and the district shares. However, some key information is underdeveloped: the city’s 1900 total is described vaguely as rising “from ten thousands to one millions,” and the important pattern that Manhattan’s population itself peaked in 1900 before declining by 2000 is omitted. The 1800 share is also given as 75% rather than 76%. More precise reporting of the three dates and the contrasting population trends would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to supporting details. The contrast between Manhattan and the other districts gives the report a clear central thread, and phrases such as “Overall” and “Looking into” signal transitions. However, the opening spends considerable space explaining what each table contains rather than organising the data into meaningful comparisons. Some links are awkward or unclear, including “which then changed to other four districts,” and the final paragraph does not clearly distinguish population totals from percentage shares. Group the information by the city-wide trend and the changing district distribution, and use precise references such as “Manhattan’s share” to strengthen progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “total population,” “largest share,” “contribution,” and “surged,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. There is some variation in how you describe change, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “made 75% contribution,” “population growth” for a district’s share of residents, and “rest for districts.” Spelling errors such as “polpulation,” “increaded,” and “peercentage” are noticeable and reduce precision. Aim for accurate, conventional reporting language, especially when describing proportions and population trends. Proofreading spelling and choosing terms such as “accounted for” or “represented” would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “which” and the contrast introduced by “while.” However, errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “The three tables illustrates” should use a plural verb, while “Manhattan used to accounts” has an incorrect verb form. “Manhattan was the biggest contributor” also needs a clearer grammatical complement, such as “the largest contributor to the city’s population.” Missing spaces after full stops and inconsistent capitalisation further affect accuracy. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and verb patterns, and use shorter, complete sentences when a longer construction becomes difficult to control.

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