Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19

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 first chat demonstrates the changes of the total populations in New York city over the time periode 1800 to 2000. The second table illustrates the changes in Manhattan city and the last one narrates the changes in four other districts such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.

Initially we can see that, the population was 79,216 in New York City in 1800 which was the lowest value and highest value was 8,009,185 in 2000. In 1900 the number of the people was 3,437,202.

After that we can notice that, the population in Manhattan carried 76% of the whole population in 1800. The density of the population increased to 1,850,093 in 1900 but the percentages decreased to 54%. Subsequently, both the total numbers and the percentages of citizens fell down in 2000. Population of Manhattan covered 19% of total population which was 1,538,096 in 2000.

In contrast, the people grew from 24% to 81% drastically in four other cities. The value was 18,701 in 1800 which rose rapidly to 1,587,109 in 1900. In addtion to the proportion was 46% in 1900. The amount expanded dramatically from 18,701 in 1800 to 6,471,089 in 2000.

In conclusion, we can portray that the total number of population of New York City increased. Therefore, the percentages of people in Manhattan deminised. However, the proportion in four other cities increased.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main changes and make relevant comparisons across the three years. The overall rise in New York City’s population and the shift in population share from Manhattan to the other districts are both identified, and most figures are accurate. You also correctly note that Manhattan’s population peaked in 1900 before falling by 2000. However, the overview is placed mainly in the conclusion rather than clearly stated near the beginning, and some details are incomplete: for example, you give the other districts’ 1900 share but do not explicitly state their 2000 share alongside the figure. The phrase “four other cities” also misrepresents them as cities rather than districts. A sharper opening overview and more precise comparisons would make the key features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate discussion of Manhattan and the other districts, and a concluding summary. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow. Time markers such as “Initially,” “In 1900,” and “In contrast” help signal comparisons, although some transitions feel mechanical or are used inaccurately; “After that” does not clearly introduce a new stage, and “In addition to” is not correctly connected to the following clause. The conclusion repeats the main trends rather than adding a new point, which is appropriate, but the overview would be more effective near the start. Improve the links between figures and their comparisons, and use clearer referencing so each percentage and population figure is immediately tied to the correct group and year.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing change, including “increased,” “decreased,” “rose rapidly,” and “expanded dramatically.” These choices help communicate the broad trends, but several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for a statistical report. “The first chat” appears to mean “table,” “the last one narrates” is an unsuitable description, and “density” does not mean population size here. “Four other cities” is also inaccurate because the data refer to districts. There are spelling errors such as “periode,” “addtion,” and “deminised,” alongside repetition of “population” and “value.” Choose standard table-reporting terms and vary them carefully, while checking spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “which” and contrastive structures such as “In contrast.” The main meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the population in Manhattan carried 76%” has an unsuitable verb pattern, while “In addtion to the proportion was 46%” is not a complete, correctly formed construction. There are also issues with articles and sentence punctuation, as in “we can see that, the population,” where the comma interrupts the clause. Work on forming complete clauses after linking phrases, and check article use and punctuation. More consistently accurate complex sentences would make the comparisons easier to read.

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