Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The provided first, second and third tables illustrate the percentage of the population in New York City and its five districts, respectively, from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of the city including the districts increased significantly except Manhattan, whose proportion of total population decreased sharply.

It is evident that in 1800, the total number of people were 79,216, consisting of 60,515 in Manhattan and 18,701 in other districts namely Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island. Although the figure went up considerably in the city, the proportion of people in the Manhattan region declined from 76% to 54% after a century. The percentage in the rest of the regions doubled and reached 46%.

With regard to 2000, the population in New York was incredible, and the figure was 8,009,185, including 6,471,089 residents in other districts. The maximum percentage was 81% of people living in other districts, and the rest in Manhattan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad pattern of strong citywide growth and the changing balance between Manhattan and the other districts, and the figures you give for 1800 and 2000 are accurate. However, the account is uneven: it omits the important 1900 total of 3,437,202 and Manhattan’s population of 1,850,093, which rose before falling to 1,538,096 by 2000. The overview also says the city’s population increased “except Manhattan,” although Manhattan’s population itself grew from 1800 to 1900; it was its share of the total that declined across the period. Develop the middle-year comparison and distinguish population totals from percentages to make the main features clearer and more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details for 1800 and 2000. Phrases such as “Overall,” “Although,” and “With regard to 2000” help signal the stages. However, the progression is incomplete because the 1900 data are mentioned only through percentages, with no separate comparison of the city’s total or Manhattan’s population. Some references are also imprecise: “the figure” could refer to the city total or a district figure, and “the rest” requires the reader to infer that it means Manhattan. Organise the body around the three dates, and use explicit labels such as “Manhattan’s population” and “the combined population of the other districts” for clearer cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing data, including “increased significantly,” “declined sharply,” “proportion,” and “reached.” These choices communicate the main trends, and the response remains understandable. Some wording is imprecise or unnatural for a statistical report, however. “The population in New York was incredible” is an unsuitable evaluation rather than a neutral description, while “the maximum percentage” is less precise than identifying the largest share. “The Manhattan region” and “the rest of the regions” are also vague labels for the districts. Prefer concise, conventional terms such as “population,” “share,” and “combined population,” and use neutral language to report figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the relative clause “whose proportion of total population decreased sharply” and the concessive sentence beginning “Although.” Most meanings are clear, and the sentence structures show some variety. Some grammatical errors remain: “the total number of people were 79,216” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the proportion of people in the Manhattan region declined from 76% to 54% after a century” would be clearer with a more precise time reference. The opening sentence also makes the tables the subject of “illustrate” but describes them as showing a percentage, although the first table gives population totals. Continue checking agreement and ensure that sentence structures accurately express the intended comparison.

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