Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-20

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 tables provides data of populace of the New York city over the span of two centuries from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of the city has increased significantly throughout the years with tremendous contribution from other districts. However, population of Manhattan has declined over the years.

The number of people in the city rose steadily from approximately 79 thousand in 1800 to 8 million in 2000. This is due to the significant contribution of other 4 districts in the total population which has increased from 24% in 1800 to 81% in 2000.

While, the other districts experienced a rise, Manhattan was the only district which saw a decline in its population which is evident as its contribution declined from 76% in 1800 to only 19% in 2000. Interestingly, Its population increased from 1800 to 1900 but then experienced a decline from 1900 to 2000 from 1.8 million people to 1.5 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main overall pattern accurately: New York City’s population grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share fell and the other districts’ share rose. The figures you include are consistent with the tables, and the contrast between Manhattan’s growth to 1900 and subsequent decline is a useful detail. This gives the report a clear overview and relevant support. However, the account is somewhat selective: it does not give the city’s 1900 total or the other districts’ population figures, and the claim that the city’s rise was “due to” the other districts is stronger than the tables alone establish. To develop the response further, compare the actual population totals at each date, especially the shift from Manhattan’s 1.85 million in 1900 to 1.54 million in 2000 while the other districts expanded.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by details about the city and then the contrast between Manhattan and the other districts. The progression is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Interestingly” help signal relationships. This is coherent, but cohesion is not always smooth. “While, the other districts experienced a rise” has an unnecessary comma after the opening linker, and “This is due to” creates a causal connection that is not clearly demonstrated by the tables. The final paragraph also repeats the contrast already stated in the overview. For a stronger progression, group the figures by time period or compare Manhattan and the other districts directly, using references that make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “increased significantly,” “declined,” “contribution,” and “experienced a rise.” These choices communicate the main patterns, and the meaning remains clear. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “populace” is not the usual term for a table’s population figures, “tremendous contribution” is imprecise, and “other 4 districts” is less natural than “the other four districts.” “Rose steadily” also suggests a consistent pattern, although only three data points are provided. Aim for precise, conventional report language such as “population,” “accounted for,” and “increased overall.” This would improve accuracy and flexibility without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including the contrast in “While the other districts experienced a rise, Manhattan…” and the time sequence in the final sentence. The main ideas are generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening “The tables provides” has subject–verb disagreement; it should be “The tables provide.” The phrase “population of the city has increased” needs an article (“the population”), and “While,” should not be followed by a comma before its clause. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “Its” after “Interestingly.” Review agreement, articles, and punctuation, and check each sentence for a complete, correctly connected clause. More consistently accurate control of these structures would strengthen the report.

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